Benue State Government has launched a new security outfit, Quick Response Squad (QRS), to strengthen rapid response to security emergencies across the state’s 23 local councils.
Governor Hyacinth Alia, who launched the squad on Tuesday in Makurdi, explained that today’s squad would respond swiftly to security threats, particularly in vulnerable communities.
Represented by the Deputy Governor, Sam Ode, the Governor charged the officers with complementing the efforts of the conventional security agencies to achieve the desired results.
He said, “The operation comprised personnel from the Civil Protection Guard, Vigilante Group of Nigeria, Local Hunters, and the Joint Task Force (JTF).” He said the state government is now looking inward for peace and security in Benue communities, with this launch as part of the efforts.
He said, “The move is one of the Government’s many initiatives to secure the state, and with this, we demand absolute loyalty from the officers to achieve maximum success. This squad will be subordinate to the conventional security while serving as first responders to security challenges in our rural communities”
The Governor maintained that periodic reviews of the officers’ activities will be conducted to keep them in check, adding that the State government will establish a security trust fund to address the financial and equipment needs of the Quick Response Squad and other security agencies operating in the state.
“I want to make it clear here that the quick response squad is not a replacement but a support to the conventional security”
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security and Internal Affairs, Joe Har, reiterated the government’s readiness to protect the people and the land and appealed for support from all.
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