Mutfwang insists state police key to ending insecurity in Plateau

By Sumaila Ogbaje

Plateau governor Caleb Mutfwang has insisted that establishment of state police is necessary to tackle insecurity afflicting the state.

“The reality is that attackers infiltrate from Taraba, Nasarawa, or Kaduna, strike our villages, and retreat. Abuja cannot monitor these local terrains the way our people can,” Mutfwang said during a chat with members of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) in Jos.

According to the governor, centralised command from Abuja is no longer sufficient to deal with localised threats.

The Plateau governor said the state was already taking steps to strengthen grassroots policing through Operation Rainbow, a community-based security outfit.

“We have recruited 1,450 young operatives who will begin training next week.

While acknowledging fears about political misuse of state police, Mutfwang said adequate safeguards could prevent abuse.

He added that federations like the United States ran multiple policing layers successfully, arguing that if Nigeria showed the political will, the country too could make it work.

The governor also revealed that the deployment of surveillance drones in Plateau had already begun exposing the movement of armed groups, giving security forces an edge in responding to attacks.

He recalled a recent ambush on security escorts during farming preparations in Bokkos which forced the state to rethink its displaced persons return strategy.

“Our drones have captured clear images of bandit movements across ungoverned spaces.

“This has enabled ground troops to respond quickly. However, without consistent air support, we sometimes lose the advantage. Manpower is also a huge challenge,” he said.

The governor added that Plateau would continue to push for more federal security deployment while investing in local intelligence and rapid response.

However, House of Representatives member who also chairs the House Committee on Defence,, Yusuf Gadgi, opposed the calls for state police.

The Plateau lawmaker warned that governors cannot be trusted with the control of policing in the states.

Gadgi, spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today insisted that community policing was more effective and a safer alternative to state police.