….creates State Civil Protection Guard Quick Rapid Squad

By Peter Duru, Makurdi

The Benue state government has engaged the services of ex security and military personnel to boost the capacity of Benue State Civil Protection Guard, BSCPG, in the fight against crimes in the state.

The Special Adviser to Benue State Governor on Security and Internal Affairs, Chief Joseph Har made this known Thursday shortly after a brief workshop with the veterans and operatives of the BSCPG at the State Command Headquarters in Makurdi.

Har noted that the move was aimed at “strengthening the command structure, instil discipline and professionalism in the BSCPG to enable the operatives discharge their mandate effectively and efficiently both at the zonal and Local Government levels.”

The Adviser explained that the BSCPG came into existence after the state government collapsed the former State Community Volunteer Guards and the State Livestock Guards into one entity called BSCPG “which is now incharge of internal security of the state as first responders.”

“So what is happening here today is a mini workshop for the commanders of the former volunteer guards and Benue state livestock guards, which have been collapsed into the ‘CPG commanders’ at Local Government and Zonal levels.”

“We also have co-opted some retirees veterans of the military, police and paramilitary to also be known as commanders of the CPG, the essence is for them to instill that discipline that they knew over the years into the CPG, because operatives of the Civil Protection Guard are not formally trained. The training they got was minimal, hence they require more experience and support from these veterans both in tactics and professionalism to become formidable.

The Adviser assured commanders of the collapsed groups that none of them would  be removed, stressing that “they will serve as operational commanders under the veterans who will superintend and guide them properly on issues of ethics and conduct. They will also be exposed to the  basic principles of human rights, and the fight against drugs and trafficking.”

Chief Har hinted that “the Civil Protection Guard Quick Rapid Squad, CPGQRS, has also been established and the personnel are currently undergoing training in the last two weeks to complement other security agencies in tackling crime and criminality in our communities, especially with the surge in untoward activities as the festivities draw near.”