The Benue government has engaged the services of veterans from the military, the police, and the civil defence corps in the state Civil Protection Guard.

Joseph Har, the special adviser to the governor on security and internal affairs, disclosed this on Thursday during the civil protection guard workshop in Makurdi.

Mr Har said the workshop was for the veterans, senior officers, and operatives of the state security outfit to blend ideas.

The special adviser stated that the workshop was to strengthen the command structure and instil discipline and professionalism to enable the operatives to discharge their mandate.

He said the government has collapsed the State Community Volunteer Guards and the State Livestock Guard into one entity called the Benue State Civil Protection Guard (BSCPG).

According to him, the new outfit is now in charge of the state’s internal security as “first responders.

“We also have co-opted some retiree veterans of the military, police, and paramilitary to also be called commanders of the CPG.

“The essence is for them to instil that discipline that they knew over the years into the BSCPG; because the operatives are not formally trained, the training they got is minimal training.

“They require more experience from these veterans and support them both in tactics and professionalism to become a formidable force in Benue,” he said.

The security adviser allayed the fears of existing commanders that no one would be removed, but the veterans would superintend them and guide them properly on basic principles of human rights, drugs, and trafficking.

Mr Har further said the Civil Protection Guard Quick Rapid Squad was established and was undergoing training to complement other security agencies in tackling crime and criminality in the state.

(NAN)