Benue govt engages ex-servicemen into state security outfit

To curb insecurity in the state, Benue State Government has engaged the services of ex-servicemen and women to strengthen the state owned security outfit now known as ‘Benue State Civil Protection Guard’.

Disclosing this on Thursday, the Special Adviser to Benue State Governor on Security and Internal Affairs, Chief Joseph Har said the engagement of ex-servicemen and women from the Military, Police and the Nigeria Civil Defence Corps into the state security outfit was also aimed at instilling discipline and bring about professionalism to the state security outfit.

Har stated this while speaking with newsmen after the workshop held for the veterans, senior officers and operatives of the Benue State Civil Protection Guard at the State Command headquarters, in Makurdi.

According to Har, “What is happening here today is a mini workshop between the existing commanders of their formal volunteer guards and Benue Community Volunteer Guards and the State Livestock Guards, which have been collapsed as the BSCPG commanders at local government and zonal levels.”

“We also have co-opted some retirees, veterans of the military, police and paramilitary to also be called commanders of the BSCPG, the essence is for them to instil that discipline that they knew over the years into the BSCPG.

“You know that operatives of the Benue State Civil Protection Guard are not formally trained, the training they got was minimal but they need more experience from these veterans and support them both in tactics and professionalism to become a formidable force in the state.

The Adviser, however, allayed the fear of the existing commanders that no one would be removed but they would serve as operational commanders under the veterans who would superintend them.

“These ex-servicemen would guide them properly on how to do things on ethics and conducts among others as well as train them other basic principles of human rights, drugs and trafficking,” he said.

The security adviser further said that another outfit known as ‘Civil Protection Guard Quick Rapid Squad’ has also been established and the men are currently undergoing training to complement other security agencies in tackling crime and criminality in Benue communities.

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