By Andrew Ojih, Jalingo,
In a bid to enhance community policing and improve coordination among local security actors to tackle banditry and kidnapping, Taraba state government weekend disclosed that it has begin process to bring vigilantes, forest hunters and other local security outfits into a single security framework under the Taraba state Marshal.
The Commandant of Taraba Marshal, CP Agyole Abeh (Rtd) who stated this during an exclusive interview with metoricpost in Jalingo said government has presented a bill to the State House of Assembly for the incorporation of local security outfits in the state.
He highlighted that the bill, when passed into law, would streamline all local security outfits in the state under the Taraba Marshal for intelligence cohesion.
He informed that government is also investing in security infrastructure, including drone stations and specialised equipment to support security agencies.
He hinted that lawmakers had began legislating on the bill last year, adding that it has passed first reading in the House.
“The executive bill, initiated by Governor Agbu Kefas as part of his 2025–2026 security reforms is designed to enhance community policing and better coordinate the efforts of local security actors in tackling banditry and kidnapping.
“This move will improve security outcomes, enhance community trust, provide better coordination among security agencies, and increase safety and confidence in vigilante efforts” he said.
Abeh said the Taraba Marshal security guard was officially established as a legal entity under the Taraba state Marshal Security Guard Law 2021, to complement the federal government security agencies in tackling security challenges in Taraba State.
According to him, government have officially compiled the names of all Hunters and Vigilante groups across the sixteen local government areas to actualise the bill’s concept.
He stressed that once passed into law, any other security outfit or person in the state not covered by the law would not be recognised by the Taraba State Government and would be declared illegal.
He emphasised the importance of the Taraba Marshal, hunters, vigilantes, and other security outfits in the state as the foundation of intelligence gathering for all security agencies of Nigeria and beyond.
“When you deploy police, military, or NCDSC to a remote area where they aren’t familiar with the terrain, local vigilantes or hunters can provide information, location, or lead them to the crime scene.
It is the locals that know the hinterland that are very important in terms of intelligence gathering and that is why the Taraba state government is making efforts to incorporate them into the security services of the state” he explained.