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.
The announcement was made by Lateef Fagbemi, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, during a briefing with State House correspondents following the FEC meeting on Tuesday.
Fagbemi stated that three items were submitted for approval, with one being the procurement of two units of body scanners to be used at the Abuja and Lagos International Airports for N985 million.
”Other approved items include the procurement of CNG-powered vehicles and firearms and ammunition for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
”Additionally, on June 24, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) inaugurated 120 officers for the aviation security (AVSEC) special force aimed at securing assets and lives at the airports,” he added.
Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, noted that establishing the special force is part of efforts to curb touting and other illegal activities around Nigeria’s airports.
On her part, Olubunmi Kuku, FAAN’s Managing Director, mentioned that the newly inducted personnel will initially be deployed to five international airports in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, and Enugu.
Kuku also stated that the next phase would focus on coordination, highlighting an ongoing campaign to ensure that airport personnel conduct themselves acceptably and noticeably to passengers.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Immigration Service recently commenced the installation of electronic gates (e-gates) at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos as part of a significant initiative to strengthen national security, streamline passenger processing, and improve the ease of business operations in the country.
The e-gate project, part of a broader border control management solution, involves biometric verification through facial or iris recognition, fingerprints, or a combination of both methods.
Upon successful verification, a gate or turnstile opens to allow passage, while failed verifications or system malfunctions result in denied access.