As part of efforts to forestall crimes on the transportation system, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved N718.19 million to provide security services on the 45-kilometre Abuja rail tracks and stations.
The Minister of the FCT, Mohammed Bello disclosed this after the FEC Meeting in Abuja on Wednesday.
According to Bello, the security service is meant to provide protection to the key infrastructures on the rail tracks, the signaling and communication equipment and the electrical system.
He said, “In the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting of today, I presented a memo and the council approved a contract to two companies for the provision of security services for the Abuja Light Rail Mass Transit System,” the minister told reporters during the briefing.
“These companies are Messrs Al-Ahali Security Guards Limited and Messrs Seaguard Security and Protective Company Limited
“They are going to provide security to the entire 45 kilometres of track including 12 stations.
“And these security services are meant to protect the key infrastructure on the rail tracks, the signaling and communication equipment as well as the electrical system.
“Al-Ahali Security Guard Limited is going to secure 27.4 kilometres of the track, covering eight stations at the cost of N407,214,000 over a two-year period, while Seaguard Securities and Protective Company Limited are going to secure 18 kilometres of the rail tracks including four railway stations and that is at a cost of N310,979,250.”
This move follows the attack on the Abuja-Kaduna rail line that led to the suspension of operations.