The Nigerian Railway Corporation has warned passengers against purchasing train tickets from unauthorised third parties, threatening prosecution for those involved in the practice.
The corporation, in an email, said tickets bought outside its official booking channels were invalid, adding that offenders risked ticket cancellation, denial of boarding and prosecution in accordance with applicable laws.
It directed passengers to purchase their tickets exclusively through its official online booking platform, https://nrc.tps.ng, to avoid inconvenience and protect their journeys.
The advisory read, “Please be informed that only tickets purchased through official booking channels are valid. Book your ticket via https://nrc.tps.ng.
“Purchasing train tickets from unauthorised third parties is illegal. Passengers found engaging in such transactions risk ticket cancellation, denial of boarding, and prosecution in accordance with applicable laws.
“To avoid inconvenience and protect your journey, please purchase your tickets exclusively through official booking channels.”
An official of the NRC said the corporation was strengthening its ticket verification system to prevent passengers from boarding trains with tickets obtained outside approved channels.
The official explained that third-party tickets were often procured when the official booking platform indicated that no seats were available, but passengers subsequently obtained tickets through individuals claiming to have access to them.
“Third-party tickets are… procured when the site tells you the seats are unoccupied, no vacant seats again. But somehow you got somebody’s number that says, oh, I can give you a ticket, just bring X amount of money, and you are eventually able to procure one.
“That’s what they call third-party tickets. The gates that are being installed, gatekeeping, will ensure that you are not able to use it,” the official said.
The official added that the corporation was introducing verification measures that would prevent passengers from using tickets purchased with details that did not match their National Identification Number.
“So, why purchase it? Why? Because when you want to buy, there’s a QR code they scan, and it goes to NIMC’s back end to reconfirm that your NIN matches the one used to purchase the ticket. So, when there’s a conflict there, they will deprive you of entering,” the official stated.
According to the official, tickets obtained through third-party agents are sourced outside the legitimate ticketing channels approved by the corporation.
“The third-party is getting it from sources outside the legitimate sources, which is the TPS, Transport Payment Solution. That’s the one that is approved for ticket retailing at Abuja. Another concessionaire handles that of Lagos; other handles that of Warri Itakpe,” the official said.
The NRC official also warned that both passengers who patronise unauthorised agents and individuals who sell the tickets could face legal consequences.
“We are talking about somebody giving a bribe, somebody taking a bribe. It takes two to be in the business. It takes a willing person that wants to buy an illegal ticket to get an agent that will sell one to him. And the two, if caught, are liable to be prosecuted,” the official said.
The official, however, noted that the determination of guilt remained the responsibility of the courts, adding that some passengers had already faced penalties for dealing with unauthorised ticket agents.
“And in fact, they are doing it. It’s just that, you know, until the court pronounces, nobody has the right to say, oh, this man is guilty, that person is not. But some people are being penalised for patronising third-party agents in procuring,” the official added.
The warning comes amid concerns over the sale of train tickets outside official booking channels, with the corporation urging passengers to use approved platforms to avoid losing their money or being denied access to trains.
The warning comes after the NRC refuted allegations of ticket racketeering on the Abuja–Kaduna Train Service following a viral social media video by Instagram blogger Faizah Raji.
Raji had accused the corporation of deliberately creating artificial ticket scarcity on the route and reselling tickets through agents at inflated prices.
She alleged that after failing to secure a ticket through the official booking portal, she was able to obtain one from an agent at twice the official fare.
However, the NRC, in a statement issued on 15 October, denied involvement in the alleged racketeering, insisting that it did not directly handle ticket sales.
The corporation explained that ticketing on the Abuja–Kaduna route was managed by SecureID/TPS under a public-private partnership arrangement, while Global Software Digital Solutions handles the Lagos–Ibadan service and Fane Warri-Itakpe Ticketing Solutions Limited manages the Warri–Itakpe route.
The NRC attributed the ticket shortage on the Abuja–Kaduna corridor partly to rising passenger demand, which it said had exceeded available supply by more than tenfold.
It also disclosed that it introduced a double-verification system in 2025 to curb ticket racketeering, requiring passengers to present personal identification documents when boarding, in addition to verifying the National Identification Number used to purchase their tickets.
The corporation acknowledged weaknesses in the access-control system at Rigasa station in Kaduna, saying the situation had occasionally allowed associates of scammers to overwhelm security operatives.
It maintained that passengers who patronised unauthorised ticket agents did so at their own risk and warned that tickets purchased through such channels could be invalid.
The NRC also declared zero tolerance for ticket racketeering, warning that any staff member found culpable or colluding with offenders would face disciplinary action.
It urged passengers to use approved booking channels and assured them of continued efforts to improve customer service and protect the integrity of railway operations.