Plateau to establish Operation Rainbow Camps in 17 LGAs — Mutfwang

By Golok Nanmwa JOS – Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has announced plans to establish operational camps of Operation Rainbow in all the 17 local government areas of the state as part of efforts to strengthen intelligence gathering and address insecurity. Mutfwang disclosed this during the passing-out parade of 353 retrained operatives of Operation Rainbow, where he said 11 operational camps had already been established.

He added that vehicles and motorcycles would be distributed to the operatives to facilitate their deployment to their respective local government areas. The governor said the state government was also strengthening the agency’s intelligence-gathering capacity through technology, including drones and a command and control centre, to enhance surveillance and ensure the timely transmission of security information.

“It is the intention of the state that each local government will have an operational camp that will use drones in getting information in real time and passing it to other security agencies so that they can utilise it,” he said. Mutfwang explained that Operation Rainbow was primarily an intelligence-gathering outfit and not an armed force, stressing that its personnel were trained to complement conventional security agencies in tackling criminal activities.

“Operation Rainbow basically is an intelligence-gathering outfit. They are not armed to fight on their own. They are trained and retrained so that they can complement the conventional security forces,” he said. He noted that the operatives, being residents of the communities where they operate, had local knowledge of the terrain that could assist security agencies in identifying threats and responding to emergencies.

“These are locals; they know the terrain, and whenever there is a shortage of personnel, the operatives of Operation Rainbow can be handy,” he added. The governor also disclosed that the agency had more than 25 gun trucks, which had been made available to Operation Enduring Peace and other security agencies to support their operational activities. He said the state government had established the Plateau State Special Activities Centre (PSAC), equipped with drones and monitoring facilities to enable security authorities to monitor developments across the state in real time.

Describing peace and security as key priorities of his administration, Mutfwang said the retraining exercise was aimed at improving the operatives’ professional competence, discipline, intelligence-gathering capacity and ability to provide early warnings against security threats. He urged the operatives to uphold professionalism, integrity and restraint in the discharge of their duties, reminding them that they were not above the law.

“As you go into the field to protect your communities, you must carry yourselves with professionalism, integrity and restraint. “Let me remind you that as you have been trained and retrained to enforce the law and protect citizens, you are not above the law. You are partners and guardians of the law,” he said. The governor directed the operatives to work closely with conventional security agencies, traditional institutions and community leaders, stressing that intelligence sharing and cooperation were essential to achieving lasting peace.

He also urged residents to exercise caution in sharing information about security operations on social media, warning that the circulation of unverified reports could undermine security efforts and endanger lives. Mutfwang said complaints against security personnel should be channelled through appropriate authorities rather than social media platforms.

“If there is a genuine complaint of overreach by any of the security operatives, it is the right to channel it. It is not by going to social media to fight a war against these security agencies and eventually embolden criminals within our borders,” he stated. He further cautioned residents, particularly young people, against circulating unverified information that could jeopardise ongoing security operations.

“Every wrong information you put out there puts many lives in danger. You must exercise restraint and ensure that you do not put other lives in jeopardy,” he said. The governor also dismissed suggestions that Operation Rainbow was dominated by any particular religious or ethnic group, insisting that its composition reflected the diversity of Plateau State.

“We have ensured that we have people of diverse backgrounds. We have recruited Muslims, we have recruited Christians, we have recruited people of diverse ethnic backgrounds,” he said. Mutfwang also commended President Bola Tinubu for his support to the state. Earlier, the Coordinator of Operation Rainbow, Brigadier-General Nash Yakubu (retd.), said the retraining exercise was necessary to equip the operatives with the skills required to address contemporary security challenges.

He said the training was designed to improve their ability to identify, assess and respond to s