By Marie-Therese Nanlong

Jos – Efforts to strengthen community policing in Plateau State received fresh momentum as the State-owned security outfit, Operation Rainbow, commenced the training of its second batch of community security operatives.

The initiative is part of the State Government’s wider strategy to reinforce local security structures and expand community-level defence capabilities across all 17 local government areas of the State.

The ongoing training programme, taking place at the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Command Training School in Fobur, Jos East, is designed to equip about 1,450 fresh recruits with the skills required for intelligence support, area protection, and rapid response to emerging threats.

Addressing the trainees, the Acting Coordinator of Operation Rainbow, Brigadier General Gakji Shipi (Rtd), explained that the recruits were deliberately divided into two batches to ensure coordinated training and improved field performance.

Before the recent recruitment of over 1000 personnel, the outfit had trained 600 operatives primarily in intelligence gathering, but the latest group will undergo deeper tactical drills and community defence modules.

“This set will serve as the first line of protection for their communities. They will still receive basic intelligence training, but their core assignment is to perform garrison duties, guard vulnerable areas, and respond swiftly to threats across Plateau State,” the Coordinator said.

Gen. Shipi disclosed that the operatives were selected from specific communities where they will eventually be deployed, an approach designed to enhance familiarity with local terrains, threat patterns, and early warning signals.

He added that the recruitment targeted vigilantes and hunters already involved in voluntary community safety work, prompting a relaxation of the usual age and qualification criteria.

He stressed, “We didn’t just recruit jobless people walking the streets. These individuals have long been volunteering to safeguard their communities. What we are doing is formalising their efforts, refining their skills, and integrating them into a more organised and accountable security structure.”

Responding to questions on the role of technology in combating insecurity, Shipi said that relevant security systems were already available. “Technology is an enabler; it improves situational awareness and provides critical information, but trained personnel must interpret and act on it. That is where these operatives come in,” he explained.

He described the exercise as a strategic step in consolidating peace, preventing attacks, and promoting a more responsive, community-led security architecture.

With deployment expected after the conclusion of training, the outfit reaffirmed the commitment to strengthening grassroots security and safeguarding residents across the State.