The federal executive council (FEC) has approved N718.19 million to two security outfits to protect the 45-kilometre Abuja rail tracks and stations.
Mohammed Bello, minister of the FCT, said this on Wednesday while speaking with journalists at the end of the FEC meeting.
In March, the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) suspended its Abuja-Kaduna train operations after some gunmen planted explosives on the rail track and attacked passengers.
Bello said the security services are majorly to protect key infrastructures on the rail tracks, the signalling and communication equipment as well as the electrical system.
He added that the security agencies are Messers Al-Ahali Security Guards Limited and Messers Seaguard Security and Protective Company Limited.
“I presented a memo at the Federal Executive Council meeting of today, and the council approved a contract for the provision of security services for the Abuja Light Rail Mass Transit System,” he said.
“These companies are going to provide security to the entire 45 kilometres of track including 12 stations.
“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 two years, 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.”
On his part, Babatunde Fashola, minister of works and housing, said the council approved two memoranda for N11 billion.
“The first was a contract for the reconstruction of the Mushin-NNPC-Apapa-Oshodi road, that is the road that goes through Isolo to Ejigbo, at the sum of N11,166,270,197.85 to Strabic construction company, with a completion period of 20 months,” Fashola said.
He also said the council approved the demands by state governments for refunds on an intervention made previously before the current administration on federal roads and before the directive that there should be no more intervention by states on federal roads.
