Insecurity: Journalists hail launch of Benue community volunteer guards
The Conference of Benue Journalists (CBJ), has commended Governor Samuel Ortom on the launch of a state security outfit, codenamed Community Volunteer Guards to fight against terrorists and criminals wreaking havoc in the state.
CBJ in a statement at the weekend by its Vice President Ewache Ajefu said the action of the Benue State government under the leadership of Governor Ortom was long over due, considering the number of lives and property that have been lost to insecurity in the state, especially as a result of the conflict between nomadic herders and peasant farmers.
“We are disturbed and disheartened by the latest figure of 5,000 lives lost to unprovoked attacks by terrorists on unarmed citizens in the state since 2011, as revealed recently by the governor. It is now becoming obvious as advocated in different quarters that Nigerians need to defend themselves. Every life matters,” Ewache Stressed.
The CBJ Vice President lamented that other forms of criminality were beginning to creep-in the state due to the inability of the government at the centre to decisively address insecurity. He said the launch of the Community Volunteer Guards in Benue was necessary at this material time.
“We understand that the new security outfit is inline with the Benue State Vigilante Law of 2000, an existing extant legislation. What Governor Ortom has done is not different from the action of many South West governments, where citizens are facing similar insecurity challenges,” the statement added.
CBJ therefore, urged
Governor Ortom and his administration to rightly deploy the 500 personnel of Benue State Community Volunteer Guards to volatile areas in the state, in order to compliment existing government security agencies for the protection of lives and property.
“We further caution the wrong use of this new security outfit either for political gains or for self aggrandizement by any individual or groups,” the CBJ Vice President said.
