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The Benue State Government on Tuesday launched a People-Centred Public Safety Programme and adopted it as a statewide security framework, positioning the state as the first in Nigeria to formally implement, at that scale, the community policing structure outlined in the Police Act 2020.
The event took place at the New Banquet Hall of the State Government House in Makurdi and was attended by state officials, security representatives, civil society groups and development partners.
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Deputy Governor Sam Ode, who represented Governor Hyacinth Alia, said the programme signalled a shift toward structured collaboration between communities and security agencies.
“True security is not imposed. It is built, sustained and owned by the people,” Mr Ode said in a speech delivered on behalf of the governor.
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He added that the government had adopted the model as state policy, not as a temporary intervention. “This is not a pilot without continuity. It is a governance-backed framework with executive authority and institutional responsibility,” he said.
Benue has faced years of violent attacks, armed incursions and communal clashes, particularly in Guma, Katsina-Ala and Agatu local government areas. Thousands of residents have been displaced in recurring waves of violence. Despite repeated deployments of security personnel, residents in some affected communities have reported gaps in trust and communication with security agencies.
The People-Centred Public Safety Programme was piloted in Guma and Katsina-Ala before being extended to Agatu. Lawyers Alert implemented it with support from the Open Society Foundations.
Rommy Mom, president of Lawyers Alert, said the initiative was designed to address what he described as a trust deficit between communities and security actors.
“For long, the government has put in various measures to ensure safety, but there remained a gap in trust between communities and security agencies,” Mr Mom said. He noted that the Police Act 2020 provides for community policing committees at the state and local levels. “In Nigeria, having laws is one thing. Implementing those laws is another. Benue is the first state to implement community policing in the way envisaged by the Police Act,” he said.
According to him, the community policing committees in the pilot areas include representatives of women, youth, traditional institutions, religious leaders and security agencies. He said the committees serve as platforms for information sharing and structured engagement.
Director-General of the Benue State Bureau of Homeland Security, Jacob Gbamwuan, said the programme aligns with the state’s broader security coordination efforts.
“Sustainable public safety requires community trust, early warning dialogue and accountability,” Mr Gbamwuan said. He added that lessons from Guma, Katsina-Ala and Agatu indicated that early reporting of threats could improve response outcomes.
The programme emphasises the participation of women, young people and internally displaced persons in local safety processes.
A representative of the Benue State Commissioner of Police, Emenari Ifeanyi, said collaboration between the state government and security agencies had continued through joint patrols and requests for additional formations. He said the Inspector-General of Police had approved two additional area commands and five divisional headquarters in parts of the state affected by recurring violence.
“Security remains a collective responsibility,” the police representative said, adding that the command would continue intelligence-led operations and community engagement.
Programme Manager at the Open Society Foundations, Louise Ehlers, said the organisation supported the initiative because of its focus on community participation.
“We try to differentiate between security and safety,” she said. “Safety is being able to live without threats of crime and violence.” She said the foundation was interested in documenting lessons from Benue and sharing them in other contexts where similar reforms are under consideration.
Community representatives from the pilot local government areas also spoke at the event.
Justine Tsukwa from Guma said mistrust had affected information sharing during previous security operations. “With the establishment of the community policing committee, trust was renewed, and early warning reporting improved,” he said.
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Grace Mue from Katsina-Ala said the initiative encouraged residents to view safety as a shared responsibility. “Before now, it was a blame game. Now we know that safety is our responsibility,” she said.
Participating ministries, departments and agencies, including the Benue State Peace Commission, the State Emergency Management Agency, and the Ministry of Women Affairs, indicated their readiness to support the expansion of the framework to other local government areas. The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development, which is also a partner in the initiative, attended the programme alongside other stakeholders.
The state government said the programme would now be scaled up across Benue as part of its security policy, amid ongoing concerns over attacks and displacement in several communities.
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