By Terfa Solomon 

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps Benue State Command has hosted a delegation from the Armed Forces Command and Staff College on a national security study tour centred on community engagement and national prosperity.

The delegation, led by Brigadier General M.A. Abdullahi, visited the command headquarters as part of an academic and strategic assessment tour themed, “Promoting Community Engagement for Enhanced Security and Prosperity.”

The Benue State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps on Wednesday received a high-powered delegation from the Armed Forces Command and Staff College as part of an ongoing national study tour in Benue State.

The delegation comprised directing staff and students of the military institution and was led by Brigadier General M.A. Abdullahi alongside members of the coordinating team.

Speaking during the visit, Benue State Commandant of the NSCDC, Commandant Bitrus Alice Larai, presented a detailed briefing on the theme of the tour, stressing the growing importance of community participation in addressing security challenges.

According to the Commandant, modern security operations can no longer rely solely on force deployment and weapon systems, but must also be built on trust, legitimacy and collaboration with local communities.

She noted that effective community engagement improves intelligence gathering, strengthens early warning mechanisms and enhances rapid response capabilities among security agencies.

Larai further outlined some of the core responsibilities of the NSCDC, including community engagement, intelligence gathering, public sensitisation, protection of critical national assets and infrastructure, as well as collaboration with traditional and local stakeholders.

The Commandant also identified major obstacles affecting community-based security efforts, including trust deficits, limited resources, poor inter-agency coordination, accountability concerns and socio-economic pressures.
She charged the visiting students and future strategic leaders to champion reforms that would strengthen grassroots security frameworks across the country.

Among the recommendations she highlighted were professionalism and fairness in operations, stronger collaboration with traditional institutions, establishment of grassroots engagement structures, creation of secure reporting channels, improved inter-agency coordination and sustained investment in training and capacity building.

“If the people are not with you, you are already working at a disadvantage,” she told the participants, adding that communities that trust security agencies are more likely to provide support, intelligence and cooperation.

In his remarks, Brigadier General M.A. Abdullahi, represented by Navy Captain A. Usman, commended the State Commandant and the Benue NSCDC Command for what he described as one of the most insightful presentations received by the delegation during the tour.

According to him, the presentation effectively addressed community-based security concerns and aligned with the objectives of the study programme.

The visit concluded with the exchange of souvenirs between the delegation and officials of the command.