The Plateau State Government has demanded the withdrawal of military personnel from flashpoints, calling for deployment of mobile police personnel in the areas.
This follows recent attacks in villages in Riyom Local Government Area, where 27 persons were killed.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang had condemned the incident during his visit to the affected communities on Wednesday, blaming security personnel for failing to apprehend the perpetrators.
In a statement on Friday, Prof. Chris Kwaja, Special Envoy on Peace and Security to the governor, said the presence of soldiers has not yielded positive results, hence the need to deploy mobile policemen, whom the government believes are better equipped to tackle insecurity in the region.
Benue attacks: Benue women’s battle for survival amidst insecurity Kwaja noted that during the Tuesday’s night attack, the security forces, especially the Operation Safe Haven, a security tasks force maintaining peace in the state, failed to foil the attack despite presence in the area, adding that attack was avoidable, given the early warning signs and intelligence reports
He said. “The Federal Government should, as a matter of priority, consider withdrawing all military personnel deployed in flashpoints and replace them with Mobile Police Squads. This change in approach is necessary to ensure a more effective and responsive security strategy that prioritizes fight against asymmetry warfare, which the MOPOL is conversant with,” he demanded.
