Benue Pledges People-driven Security, State Police

Benue State government has promised to provide people-centred safety and a state police that will also follow the same pattern when established.

The governor, Hyacinth Alia, gave stated this at the Benue Stakeholders’ Colloquium on State Police organised by Lawyers Alert in collaboration with the Benue State Bureau of Homeland Security in Makurdi.

Governor Alia, represented by his chief of staff, Barr. Emmanuel Atagher, said the government is open to strategies that bring it closer to the people.

As part of its commitments, the state government said it had adopted the public-centred safety project, which promotes collaboration between communities, government, security agencies and traditional and religious leaders.
It maintained that the model would be central to the state’s policing approach if the state police were operational.

He commended Lawyers Alert for developing and promoting the Public Centred Safety approach, stressing that its community-based structure would be relevant to the state police framework being considered by the country.
Governor Alia said the discussion on state police provides Benue with an opportunity to determine what a state police structure should look like, what would be required to make it effective and how the state could prepare for its implementation.

‎He said the state must consider critical issues, including equipment, training, funding, command structure, accountability, community relations, and the roles of traditional and religious leaders.

‎He also stressed the need for effective coordination between state police and existing security institutions.

‎Governor Alia maintained that the protection of citizens and respect for human rights must remain central to any state police structure eventually established.

‎He said the colloquium was therefore important in ensuring that the state’s approach to policing reflects the needs, realities and aspirations of its people.

‎He added that the government would continue to support initiatives that strengthen collaboration between communities and security institutions in addressing insecurity across Benue State.

‎In his remarks, the director-general of the Benue State Bureau of Homeland Security, Air Commodore Jacob Gbamwuan (rtd), represented by Lt-Gen Fidelis Chile, highlighted the state’s investment in strengthening community approaches to public safety through the people-centred public safety framework and establishment of the Community policing committee.

‎According to him, these structures have demonstrated the value of bringing communities and security institutions closer, which is relevant to the state police conversation.

‎In a goodwill message, the special adviser on internal security, Joseph Har, stressed that the Benue State government is ready to implement the state Police, highlighting the state’s existing efforts to strengthen community Policing and security.

‎In a statement by the president of Lawyers Alert, Rommy Mom, the SA noted that Benue State had already made progress in developing a community-oriented security framework handbook and training manual, which have been translated into the Tiv, Idoma, and Igede languages.

‎The special adviser further raised concerns about the need to continue with existing security personnel and structures, warning that disbanding them without plans for integration could lead to security challenges.

‎Representative of the Benue State Commissioner of Police, ECP Ogo Asikwa, stated that the Nigeria Police Force was committed to supporting the seamless establishment of state Police in the state.