“Information Sharing Cannot Work Without Trust And Partnership” — Lawyers Alert Launches Community Policing Committee In Yelewata

A non-governmental organisation, Lawyers Alert, has inaugurated a 22-member Community Policing Committee in Yelewata community, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, where more than 100 residents were killed on June 14, 2025, as part of efforts to strengthen grassroots security.

Lawyers Alert said the committee was established to rebuild trust between residents and security agencies and help prevent a recurrence of attacks in the community.

The committee comprises representatives of traditional and religious institutions, women, youths, Persons with Disabilities and security agencies.

It was inaugurated under the People-Centred Public Safety project being implemented by Lawyers Alert with support from the United Kingdom-funded SPRiNG programme.

Speaking during the inauguration in Yelewata, the Programme Manager of the People-Centred Public Safety project and Legal Adviser to Lawyers Alert, Solumtochukwu Ozobulu, said the committee was constituted by members of the community to ensure inclusive participation in the management of security affairs.

Ozobulu explained that the committee had been mandated to take the lead in developing and implementing community-driven peace, safety and security initiatives.

She maintained that residents must be actively involved in determining how their safety could best be guaranteed.

“This 22-member committee has been carefully selected by their community members to represent various groups cutting across community representatives, religious leaders, traditional leaders, youths, women and security personnel, including the police, military, Benue State Civil Protection Guard, Joint Task Force and vigilante groups because of the context of their community.

“This committee is charged with the responsibility of leading peace, safety and security initiatives in their community. They will be responsible for developing an action plan and implementing this action plan,” she said.

Ozobulu noted that community participation was critical to achieving sustainable security, particularly in Yelewata, which had experienced devastating security challenges.

She added that effective information sharing between residents and security agencies could only be achieved through trust, collaboration and partnership.

“Very cardinal to the need for the establishment of the Community Policing Committee, especially for Yelewata, is that information sharing and collaboration between the security sector actors and the people will not be effective if there is no collaboration, partnership and trust,” she said.

She disclosed that members of the committee would undergo capacity-building programmes in early warning and early response mechanisms, dialogue, mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution to equip them with the skills required to discharge their responsibilities effectively.

On the expansion of the initiative, Ozobulu said the SPRiNG programme, supported by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office through Tetra Tech, was facilitating the replication of the model in three communities across Benue State.

She said that apart from Yelewata in Guma LGA, the initiative would also be established in Ayele community in Agatu LGA and Ikovwe in Katsina-Ala LGA.

Ozobulu recalled that the People-Centred Public Safety model had been in operation for about four years, with Gbajimba and Katsina-Ala town being the first communities to benefit from the initiative through the support of Lawyers Alert.

She said the success of the model in the two communities informed its adoption by the Benue State Government in February 2026, while the SPRiNG programme was now supporting its expansion to other communities.

Also speaking, the Head of Development Cooperation at the British High Commission, Cynthia Rowe, expressed delight at the inauguration and congratulated the community for taking ownership of the initiative and committing itself to rebuilding peace.

She commended community leaders, women, youths, security personnel and Benue State institutions for working together to establish the committee.

Rowe expressed sympathy with residents over the violence and destruction suffered by the community, particularly during the attacks of the previous year.

“We know that people are still grieving for that, that people lost family members, that they lost property and that they lost their sense of community in many ways. So we really extend our sorrow for that. And this committee is one way, one practical way of trying to make sure that this doesn’t happen again,” she said.

Rowe, however, cautioned that the committee would not achieve the desired results without the collective commitment of residents and other stakeholders, urging members to take their responsibilities seriously.

She particularly emphasised the importance of women’s participation in peacebuilding, noting that communities were more likely to achieve sustainable peace when women were actively involved in decision-making.

“We know that peace lasts longer when women are involved, that decisions involve everybody when women are involved. So it is really fantastic to see the women involved alongside all our men, all our boys and all our children,” she said.

Rowe expressed hope that Guma would become an example of how communities fractured by conflict could rebuild trust and achieve lasting peace through collective action.

The Chairman of Guma LGA, Maurice Orwough, represented by Christopher Waku, assured that the council would support the initiative to ensure its success in Yelewata.

The Kindred Head of Yelewata community, Zaki John Kpan, also pledged the cooperation of residents and urged members of the committee to remain committed to their assignment.

The Special Adviser to Governor Hyacinth Alia on Internal Security, Joseph Har, commended Lawyers Alert and its partners for the initiative, assuring that it enjoyed the support of the governor.

Har urged committee members to work as a team and exercise discretion in handling security information, warning them against exposing themselves or violating the rights of residents in the course of their duties.

“I urge you to always do the right things and do not expose yourselves after sharing information, and also respect people’s rights,” he said.

The Director-General of the Benue State Bureau of Homeland Security, Air Commodore Jacob Gbamwuan (retd.), represented by Thomas Anum, described the model as tested and effective and urged committee members to remain committed to their responsibilities.

The Benue State Police Command, represented by its Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Peter Orchia Aondongu, also commended Lawyers Alert and the Bureau of Homeland Security, describing the initiative as vital to strengthening community participation in security management through intelligence sharing, crime prevention, cooperation, peaceful coexistence and partnerships with security agencies to protect lives and property.

The Assistant Director, North Central Zone, Police Service Commission, Enoche Egwurube, also assured that the Commission would continue to identify with the programme and provide support where necessary.

Responding on behalf of the inaugurated Community Policing Committee, Jacob Anya pledged that members would work towards ensuring timely intelligence sharing, bridging the gap between residents and security agencies and preventing a recurrence of the security incidents experienced in Yelewata.

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