Benue state government has stated that any attempt to blackmail the Benue State Community Volunteer Guards, BSCVGs, through spurious and unfounded allegations would not stop the guards from assisting conventional security agencies to combat criminality in the state.
The government also assured that necessary checks are in place to ensure that any member of the guards who violates the law establishing the security outfit is brought to justice without delay.
Reacting, weekend, in Makurdi to the statement by the Benue Coalition on Human Rights who petitioned the Presidency and security agencies to investigate the activities of the BSCVGs for being used to hunt political enemies, the Security Adviser to the Benue State Governor, Lt. Col. Paul Hemba (Retd.) described the petition as a blackmail.
He said, “the State Government wishes to categorically debunk in its entirety, this uninformed allegation, same being false, misleading and a desperate attempt to smear the character and essence of the BCVGs which must be resisted confrontationally.
“It is trite to state unequivocally that, the BSCVGs is a formation of law; the establishment law which began with the approval of the State Security Council and duly passed into law by the Benue State House of Assembly. It was also assented to by the State Governor. The modus operandi of the Guards allows them to assist conventional security agencies in combating criminality as they are not under the control and caprice of local government Chairmen.”