By Uche Nnorom, Makurdi
Participants of Course 48 of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College have commended the Chairman of Makurdi Local Government Council, Hon. Joseph Keffi, for his sustained efforts in addressing insecurity in the area.
The commendation was made on Tuesday during an interactive session with staff and officials of the council as part of the College’s nationwide 2026 study tour.
Speaking during the visit, the Team Leader, Major Mohammed Abdullahi, represented by the Team Coordinator, Navy Captain M. Usman, praised the collaboration between the Benue State Government, the local government, and security agencies in combating insecurity.
He explained that the theme of this year’s study tour, “Promoting Community Engagement for Enhanced National Security and Prosperity,” is aimed at exploring fresh approaches to community involvement in crime prevention beyond conventional kinetic and non-kinetic security strategies.
According to him, the delegation was in Benue State to assess the security environment and engage with government officials and security agencies on measures being adopted to strengthen community participation in maintaining peace and security.
“We have listened to stakeholders and observed the efforts being made. We can say there is significant commitment by the government towards promoting peace and ensuring that insecurity becomes a thing of the past,” he said.
He added that the students sought to understand the specific steps being taken by the local government to curb crime, noting that their findings and recommendations would be shared with the council to further improve security in the area.
Responding, the Chairman of Makurdi Local Government Council, Hon. Joseph Keffi, expressed appreciation to the Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, for his continued support towards peace, security, and development in the local government and the state at large.
Keffi also commended the leadership of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College for sustaining the study tour initiative, describing this year’s theme as timely and relevant to the security realities facing communities across the country.
He stressed that achieving lasting peace requires collaboration among government institutions, security agencies, traditional rulers, and local communities.
“To strengthen community participation, we have continued to engage traditional rulers and community leaders in peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and grassroots intelligence gathering,” he said.
“We have also supported community vigilante groups to work in synergy with security agencies within the framework of the law.”
The chairman further stated that his administration had prioritised youth empowerment programmes aimed at reducing unemployment and poverty, which he identified as major contributors to insecurity.
According to him, in collaboration with organisations such as WE-CAN and the Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC), thousands of youths and women across the 11 council wards have been trained in poultry farming, catering services, and sustainable agricultural practices.
He noted that the council had also invested in education, healthcare, rural roads, water supply, and electrification projects, including the rehabilitation of schools and health centres, provision of motorised boreholes, and installation of transformers in rural communities.
Keffi added that the installation of solar-powered street lights by the Benue State Government had significantly improved security and night-time visibility in many communities.
He said the council had also strengthened trust between residents and security agencies through town hall meetings, sensitisation campaigns, and community-security dialogues.
“The visit has further motivated us and improved our understanding of effective ways to tackle insecurity in the local government. We will apply the knowledge gained for the benefit of our people,” he added.
A total of 61 students participated in the study tour, comprising 57 male and four female participants, including two foreign students from South Africa and Zimbabwe.
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