Plateau State Government has announced its intention to recruit 1,000 youths into Operation Rainbow, the state’s internal security outfit.
The announcement was made by Brigadier-General Gakji Shipi (ret’d), Acting Coordinator of Operation Rainbow, during a public event held in Jos. He said that the recruitment drive aims at bolstering intelligence gathering and providing a community‐based response to violence in remote areas, noting, “We will be recruiting from the communities because the youths there know the terrain better.”
On why the government was choosing this path, Shipi added, “We expect that they will also be passionate to work for the peace and prosperity of their people.”
He further explained that traditional institutions and other stakeholders would be key partners in the recruitment process, underlining the importance of community involvement. According to him, “the recruits would be properly trained to enable them handle the assignment which is very critical to protecting every Plateau resident.”
Plateau Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, who has made internal security a central plank of his administration, has expressed support for strengthening Operation Rainbow as part of a broader strategy to protect lives and property, especially in rural and crisis-affected local government areas.
Observers say that by integrating youths from local communities — including those previously volunteering as vigilantes or hunters — the state hopes to improve both early warning systems and local trust in security operations.
