Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom at the inauguration of the Community Volunteer Guards, in Makurdi.

Sequel to the inauguration of the state’s new security outfit; the Community Volunteer Guards, the Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom has said that the state government would officially apply to President Muhammadu Buhari for licenses to enable the state acquire AK-47 and AK-49 and other sophisticated weapons for the new outfit to curtail insecurity.

The governor had earlier on Thursday unveiled the new security outfit during the passing out parade of the first batch of recruits, held at IBB Square, Makurdi, which is made up of 500 personnel drawn from the 23 local government areas of the state.

Speaking on an Arise TV news night interview, the governor hinted that plans have been concluded by the state to apply to the President and Commander –in –Chief of the armed forces as prescribed by the law to enable the state government legally acquire sophisticated weapons for the operatives of the new security outfit.

He disclosed that the state has already procured licenses for lighter weapons such as Dane guns, double barrel guns and pump action, which are legally issued by Police authorities in the state so that the outfit could effectively take off and tackle the menace of herdsmen in the state.

“The aim of seeking licenses for such sophisticated weapons such as AK-47 and AK-49 is to enable the guards to face the herdsmen fire for fire, who have taken over the forests and farmlands in Benue State. We will not expect them carry machetes, Dane guns and double barrel guns alone to face the common enemies with sophisticated weapons.

“Between 2016 and now, more than 5, 000 citizens of the state have been killed in their own homelands by these herdsmen without any reason and we have decided to put a stop to it. What we’re doing is legal and duly discussed by the state’s security council made up of representatives of the Nigerian military, the Department of State Security, the Police and other security agencies of the government operating in the state.

“We chose to do this because we are law-abiding citizens of the country and would therefore not behave like the herdsmen, who go to countries like Libya and Mauritania to acquire these weapons illegally”, he said.

On how the state government plans to secure the weapons so that they do not fall into the hands of criminals and other undesirable elements in the state and beyond, he disclosed that the outfit is a well-structured outfit from the grassroots. He further disclosed that the operatives of the outfit are volunteers, who would not be paid salaries but little allowances.

He noted that apart from the fact that the weapons would strictly be under the control of government security agencies, he further disclosed that the operatives of the outfit were selected from across the 23 local government areas of the state so as they are also monitored by the traditional rulers.

The governor also said that his administration decided to constitute the security outfit due to the failure of federal government to disarm the fulani terrorists.

“Benue State has been especially targeted because of the historic episode of 1804, but also because my administration’s insistence on the Rule of Law rather than rule of terror and for always standing with my people in their refusal to surrender their lands, identity and Judeo-Christian faith and values to the Islamisation agenda.

 “Given the fact that the Federal Government has consistently failed to disarm the Fulani terrorists who have continued to maim and kill our people at will, the State Government is going to apply for licenses to legally procure AK-47, AK-49 and other sophisticated weapons for the Benue State Volunteers Guards to enable them tackle these murderous terrorists effectively.

“To do this effectively, the Benue State Government had approved a two-week capacity building programme for the 500 personnel of the Community Volunteer Guards to learn some basic paramilitary aspects of the job. The training which began on June 29, 2022 with the 500 participants drawn from the 23 Local Government Areas and the three Senatorial Districts ended on  July 12, 2022”, Governor Ortom also said.

He however expressed optimism that the coming on stream of the new security outfit will improve the state, adding thst the cases of banditry, kidnapping, robbery, and most of all, the issue of terrorists Fulani herdsmen attacks on local communities would be reduced to the barest minimum.

He assured that operations of the outfit would be strictly guided by the law and warned that any personnel found operating outside the said Law would be shown the way out forthwith.

It was that no fewer than 30 operational vehicles and 200 communication gadgets have been acquired for the first batch while plans are underway for the recruitment and training of the second batch to effectively cover the entire length and breadth of the state.