Govt installs 150 CCTV cameras at Lagos, Abuja airports

To combat the spate of bombings in the country, the Federal Government will soon complete the installation of 150 units of Close-Circuit Television cameras at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos; and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.



THE PUNCH had exclusively reported the commencement of the installation of the cameras in the first week of September.

Aviation sources told our correspondent that the government was planning to install 400 units of CCTV cameras at the two airports.

But the Special Assistant to the Minister of Aviation (Media), Mr. Joseph Obi, said only 150 units of the cameras were being installed at the Lagos and Abuja airports in the first phase of the project.

According to Obi, 100 cameras are currently being installed at the MMIA, while the remaining 50 are being installed at Abuja airport.

The spokesman of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Mr. Akin Olukunle, confirmed that 100 CCTV cameras were scheduled to be installed at the Lagos airport.

The FAAN spokesman, however, said he did not know the cost of the project when our correspondent asked for the cost of purchasing and fixing the cameras.

He said the project was being handled by the Police Service Commission.

A source said it was being undertaken by the Federal Government under the Police Security Infrastructure Project.

However, the Commissioner of Police, Airport Command, Mr. Usman Akila, said he knew nothing about the project.

Usman, who spoke through the Police Public Relations Officer, Airport Command, Mr. Dennis Ifijen, said the command did not have any information on the project.

Other sources, however, said the project was being handled by FAAN.

Our correspondent observed on Tuesday that over 80 CCTV cameras had been installed on tall poles along the major roads linking the Lagos airport, especially the international wing.

Some expatriates, including Chinese nationals, were seen fixing the cameras around the airport.

Each of the poles carried at least three cameras, which focused on different directions.

Each of the poles painted white was over 20-feet high.

A security expert said the gadgets were likely bullet cameras, since some of the poles on which they were fixed had antennas.

FAAN had recently warned that all persons found around the nation’s 22 airports without genuine missions would, henceforth, be arrested and prosecuted.

The agency said the latest strengthening of security measures at the airports was aimed at checking the menace of touting and the spate of terrorist attacks in some parts of the country, as well as ensure the safety of the airports and their users.


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