The Plateau State Governor, Celeb Mutfwang, has raised concerns about the infiltration of security agencies by criminal elements, alleging that some officers are acting as agents for criminals.
Mutfwang outlined several concerns regarding security and community relations, highlighting instances where security forces confiscated common tools such as machetes from locals.
Mutfwang called for a critical review of the recruitment process and a mechanism to weed out “bad eggs” within the security services.
He stressed the need for greater accountability and control over the possession of firearms.
He said, “We must be able to ensure balance. We can not just let people to possess guns without control; without accountability. There must be a registration process, we know who is holding what, where.
“But we have witnessed a lot of overzealousness by some of security agencies operating on ground who instead of cooperating with locals; when they find them sometimes with ordinary machetes, they confiscate them.
“And when engaged with their commanders, they say no this is not right. You should be able to boost the morale of those who start up to defend their communities and not arrest them, we have excesses which we have reported to the authorities.
“Let me also say this that the security agencies have been infiltrated, this is the fact we must confront as a nation. There are many people in the security agencies who should not be there, they are agents of these criminals and sometimes they even compromise their colleagues, that is why you have a lot of ambushes when these security agencies are going on operations.
“Therefore, the president must give a very firm directive to the security agencies that in the ongoing recruitment processes, diligence must be taken, diligence must be observed to ensure that wrong elements are not recruited into the security agencies.
“There must be also a mechanism to be able to fish out these bad eggs within the security services, it is only when we do that that we can ensure that there is professionalism and discipline.”
