Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has come under scrutiny over alleged ticket racketeering on the Abuja-Kaduna train service, following claims that intermediaries are charging passengers ₦7,000 for tickets officially priced at ₦3,600.
Gatekeepers News reports that the allegation was raised by Faiza Raji in a video in which she described difficulties obtaining tickets through the corporation’s online booking platform and questioned how agents could offer tickets at almost twice the official fare.
Raji said she attempted to purchase a ticket at 6 a.m., when the booking platform usually opens, but found that tickets were unavailable. She subsequently contacted an agent who allegedly requested ₦7,000 for a regular adult ticket.
She calculated that an agent collecting the amount from 10 passengers would make ₦34,000 above the official fares, assuming each ticket was originally available at ₦3,600.
“This is a parallel market and it’s thriving because the Nigerian Railway Commission is letting it,” she said.
Raji also alleged that some passengers were allowed to board trains without valid tickets, raising concerns about possible weaknesses in the corporation’s ticket verification and boarding procedures.
The allegations revive questions about the effectiveness of the NRC’s electronic ticketing system, introduced to improve transparency and reduce corruption in ticket sales.
In February 2026, Premium Times reported allegations of ticket racketeering on the Abuja-Kaduna route, including claims that intermediaries offered tickets at prices above the official fare. The report also documented passengers’ difficulties obtaining tickets through the official platform.
TNRC has previously acknowledged concerns about ticket racketeering and said it was taking steps to address the problem, including measures to identify and prevent the misuse of passenger identity details.
The corporation is yet to respond to the allegations raised by Faiza Raji in the video.
