The Kukah Foundation has revealed that it has trained 4,000 personnel of the State Operation Rainbow, the Plateau State-owned outfit, to tackle security challenges in the state.
The Technical Adviser at the Kukah Centre, Saka Azimazi, made this disclosure in the state capital on Sunday after the first set of trainees concluded a week-long session.
Recall that for the past two decades, the state has faced persistent security challenges, with thousands of residents killed in attacks by gunmen, which also resulted in destroyed properties.
The specialised training, themed ‘Improving Community Security Initiative for Accountable Service Delivery’, was supported by the Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria Programme, an initiative of the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, implemented by Tetra Tech International Development in partnership with the Kukah Centre.
Azimazi stressed that the specialised training for Operation Rainbow, created in 2010 by the administration of former Governor Jonah Jang in response to growing insecurity, had become necessary to enhance the unit’s operations and effectiveness.
“We have done a baseline assessment of the capacity of Operation Rainbow, and some of the outcomes of the evaluation informed our topics.
“For an organisation that has close to 4,000 operatives, 300 is significantly small. So our target is to train all the personnel. But we have to start somewhere.
“The idea is that those who are benefiting from the training will trickle it down to the rest so that no one will be left behind.
“We have a three-batch system. The first group is 100, the second group is also 100, and the third group is also 100.
Azimazi further explained that the training is one of three milestones, which also include reviewing the law establishing Operation Rainbow and compiling a standard operating procedure.
He also noted that Operation Rainbow lacks a system for addressing abuses of power, saying, “If an operative of Operation Rainbow is said to have abused somebody’s right, where does the victim go?” he queried, pointing at the need for advocacy to amend the law and strengthen the organisation.
The training is expected to cover all 4,000 personnel in batches, with the Kukah Centre planning to train trainers to sustain the process, saying, “The success of the training will inform future plans, and evaluating each batch to ensure optimum performance.”
Earlier, in his goodwill message, Plateau State Attorney General Philemon Dafi, represented by Konrad Kentu, Assistant Director of Legal Drafting, emphasised the importance of Operation Rainbow in maintaining peace in the state.
“May this programme produce not merely a set of trained personnel but a culture of professionalism, restraint, legal compliance and civic respect that endures,” Kentu said.
A representative of the Plateau State Peace Building Agency, Nantip Joseph, described the training as timely, noting that it aligns with the national conversation on decentralising the system.
“The establishment and strengthening of Operation Rainbow as a state-backed community security initiative demonstrates Plateau State’s commitment to innovative and locally responsive security solutions,” Joseph said.
The state coordinator of Operation Rainbow, Brig.-Gen. Gakji Shipi, Rtd, represented by Fadasah Othman, urged participants to pay attention, saying, “Here, we will build your capacity on the rules of engagement. It’s an eye-opener, so when you go through that, please be attentive.”
Assistant Superintendent Oga Enokela, a participant, shared his expectations that “While I am out there doing my work, I should know the legal aspect of what I am doing, how to implement it, and how to relate to people around me.”
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