Thieves remove cable in Abuja rail line

Residents of Abuja, the Nigerian capital, looking forward to having a functional railway line as alternative means of transportation within the city next year, may have to wait longer.

The Light Rail System project expected to provide alternative means of transport is at the mercy of vandals.

According to Channels Television, unknown persons are digging up and carting away communication cables buried along the rail tracks.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Musa Bello, confirmed the cable theft on Saturday.

He said: “Cables are being vandalised. Two weeks ago, vandals dug out cables and cut them off.’’

The cables, which have already been replaced, are to serve as tools for communication across the trains and various stations.

“The protection of the facilities is a responsibility of everyone.

The government could not do alone, he said.

“We have deployed members of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) along the tracks and in the city, ‘’ he said.

He said that the people should also have to be conscious to ensure that infrastructure put in place were not vandalised.

The Abuja light rail project would be completed by December 31, 2017, he said.

The road project which stretched from the airport to barracks would be completed soon, he said.

The minister promised that the government would upgrade the slums in Abuja through urban renewal programme and not to demolish them.