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From Jude Owuamanam, Jos
Plateau State internal security outfit Operation Rainbow has recruited 600 vigilantes to strengthen its internal security operations.
The vigilantes, according to the Commander, Operation Rainbow, AIG Dapub Makama (retd), were recruited from their localities to serve as first line defence and to provide early warning signals in case of threat to peace and security.
Speaking at the rehearsal to herald their passing out ceremony in Jos on Tuesday, the commander said that the choice of the vigilantes were part of strategic plan to strengthen the activities of Operation Rainbow and more tur security outfit more effective.
He said that the recruits were first batch in the series of vigilantes to be employed by the security outfit, stressing that the first batch were chosen from the five local government areas being the theatre of crisis in the state.
Makama said, “The Operation Rainbow is an internal security arrangement created and approved the federal government with the enabling laws from House of Assembly. What we are doing now is to strengthen and enlarging it’s operations by recruiting vigilantes.
“This first set of recruits were chosen from Mangu, 200; Barakin Ladi, 100; Bokkos, Riyom, and Bassa 100, respectively, making them 600. This is part of the promise by the Caleb Mutfwang led administration to revamp the operations of Operation Rainbow and make the outfit responsive to respond to emergency situations in the state.
“The decision to start from these local government areas is strategic because they are the most affected by the crisis. The selection will continue until all the 17 local government areas are covered.
The Special Adviser on Security to Plateau State Governor, Gen Gakji Shipi (retd), dispelled the anxiety of the people that the vigilantes were recruited for reasons other than for the peace and security of the state.
According to him, the choice of the vigilantes was deliberate because they were those from their local communities who had been acting voluntarily as vigilantes and hunters and the idea was to employ them formally and integrate them into the security arrangements of Operation Rainbow.
He said that for logistics and financial reasons, it was difficult to take the whole 17 local government areas in one swoop and it was decided to start from the most crisis endemic local government areas in the first batch while the remaining 12 local government areas will be taken care of in the next recruitment exercise.
Gen Shipi said, “There is no reason for other local government areas to be apprehensive. The first reaction was as a result of loopholes in information dissemination.
“It’s better to reach out to each other and seek clarification. Where they’re no clarifications from the government, then you know that something is amiss.
“It’s important to state that the first batch from the five local government areas were recruited because they’re the most affected by the crises in the state. The remaining 12 will be taken care of in the next exercise.
“It was also a deliberate decision to give priority to youth volunteering at community levels either as vigilantes or hunters and who know more about the nooks and crannies of their localities to provide early warning signals. After that we then pick other able-bodied youths from the communities.
“Mangu, being the epicentre was allotted the highest number of recruits, followed by the other four local government areas because of their peculiar circumstances,” he added, stressing that apart from assisting in the security arrangements, it was also a way of creating employment.
With the recruitment of the vigilantes, Shipi said that for effective monitoring of their activities, all local government areas will have area offices of Operation Rainbow.
