Operation Rainbow, a security outfit owned by the Plateau State Government, has trained 4,000 operatives in counter-terrorism operations.
The outfit’s Coordinator, retired AVM Bala Danbaba, made this known in Jos on Wednesday, while conducting journalists round the camp where another batch of operatives was undergoing training.
Danbaba said that the training was undertaken in collaboration with International Security Academy of Israel.
He said that 4,000 youths were trained two years ago by instructors from the Department of State Security, the police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
Danbaba said that the 4,000 operatives had since December 2011 been deployed to various communities across the 17 local government areas of the state.
He said that 1,000 youths were currently receiving training at the Citizenship and Leadership Training Institute in Shere Hills, Jos, adding that team leaders selected from the 4,000 operatives were benefitting from the training.
Danbaba said that 30 personnel of the security outfit, who received training in counter-terrorism manoeuvres in Israel, were helping out in the training of the team leaders.
He stressed, however, that the training was not aimed at fighting terrorism per se, adding that the exercise was aimed at boosting the confidence of the trainees by equipping them with security tips and consciousness.
He reiterated that Operation Rainbow was not preparing youths to attack or harass anybody, adding the trained youths were to render assistance in efforts to protect their communities.
Danbaba said that the operatives of the outfit comprised personnel drafted from the police, NSCDC, SSS, Immigration Service, Army, Air Force and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
He said: “We have policemen that are armed as part of our outfit.
“We also have civil defence and immigration personnel in Operation Rainbow.
“The operatives that we have deployed into the field are those who have no business being armed.
“Their own duty is to observe what is happening in their localities and report to the security agencies.
“When they notice any strange movement, strange faces in their localities, they quietly go and report this to the ward heads or security agents or they just send an SMS to Operation Rainbow headquarters.”
Danbaba said that 750 soldiers were initially expected to be part of the outfit, adding, however, that due to the presence of the Special Task Force in Plateau State, the soldiers had yet to become part of the outfit.
In his remarks, Mirza David, the founder and head of the International Security Academy in Israel, said that the academy was established in 1987 for the training of quality security personnel.
“Our main objective since 1987 is to assist citizens of friendly countries to establish their own training systems for improving and enhancing their countries’ capacity in the fight against violent crime and terrorism,” David said.
David said that the 1,000 team leaders, who had received training, were expected to go into communities and train the people there.
Commenting, Chris Kwaja, the Director of Research in the Plateau State Government, said that the primary concern of every government was the protection of the citizens’ lives and property.
Kwaja said: “Counter-terrorism today has become a task that every responsible government must invest in.
“Investing in security is something that every responsible state must do.”
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