Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has extended the contract of two private security companies for two years to secure rail infrastructure for the Abuja Rail Mass Transit (ARMT) system.

Mandate Secretary, Transport Secretariat, FCTA, Dr Elechi Chinedum, disclosed this while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the FCT Executive Meeting in Abuja, yesterday.

Chinedum, who did not identify the security companies, recalled that in 2018, the operations of ARMT commenced a trial stage. The operation begins with Lot 1A, from Idu to Kubwa and Lot 3 from Metro Station to Airport.

He, however, said that in 2019, the operation was disrupted by the outbreak of COVID-19 that led to lockdowns across the country. He said that the development led to the vandalisation of the 45-kilometre rail line, along with the expensive telecommunication cable.

The mandate secretary said that the FCTA awarded a contract for the rehabilitation of the rail tracks, running into billions of naira.

“This created the need to employ the services of two civil security companies in 2022 to secure the facilities, one for Lot 1A and the other for Lot 3.

“The surveillance by the two security companies led to a drastic drop in the vandalism of the facilities.

“Now the contracts have just expired, and as you know, we have commenced full commercial operations after the inauguration in May 2024.” He explained that following the high incidence of vandalism in the country, there was a need to renew the contract for the security of the expensive rail line facilities.