FEC approves N985m for procurement of body scanners at Abuja, Lagos int’l airports

The federal executive council (FEC), presided over by President Bola Tinubu, has approved N985 million for the procurement of body scanners at the Abuja and Lagos international airports.

Lateef Fagbemi, minister of justice and attorney general of the federation, made this known on Tuesday while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the FEC meeting.

He said three items were submitted to the council for approval, one of which is the “procurement of two units of body scanners for use both at Abuja and International Airports at N985 million”.

Other items approved are the procurement of CNG-powered vehicles, as well as firearms and ammunition for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

On June 24, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) inaugurated 120 officers for the aviation security (AVSEC) special force to secure assets and lives at the airports.

Festus Keyamo, the minister of aviation and aerospace development, said the decision to set up the special force is part of steps to curb the menace of touting and other illegal activities around Nigeria’s airports.

Olubunmi Kuku, FAAN’s managing director (MD), said the personnel will initially be deployed to five international airports in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, and Enugu.

Kuku said the next phase will be coordination, emphasising an ongoing campaign to ensure that airport personnel conduct themselves in a manner that is both acceptable and noticeable to passengers.