By Francis Ter
Makurdi
As the New inspector General of police continues to initiate new reformd to fight insecurity.
The Benue State Police Command has launched a new Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), dismantling old tactical structures in a hard reset aimed at ending turf wars, delays, and weak responses to banditry and kidnappings.
Commissioner of Police Ifeanyi Innocent Emenari, PhD, told officers at Command Headquarters that the move is a “strategic step toward improving coordination in tackling violent crimes and other emerging security threats” under reforms ordered by Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Rilwan Disu.
CP Emenari said the VCRU was set up “to eliminate operational overlaps, ensure accountability, and promote a more disciplined and intelligence-driven policing system.” No more duplicated units chasing the same suspects. The VCRU will now serve as the “centralized response arm for critical incidents, enabling swift deployment and better resource management,” Emenari confirmed.
The CP stressed that “professionalism and respect for fundamental human rights remain non-negotiable standards for all personnel deployed under the Unit.” Officers who step out of line will be yanked out.
Selected officers and men have begun “intensive training programme focused on modern policing techniques, ethical conduct, and tactical response” to boost battlefield readiness against kidnappers, bandits, and armed gangs.
A press release made available to Journalists in Makurdi the
Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, reinforced the Command’s message in a press release issued Wednesday.
“The Command reassures residents of its unwavering commitment to safeguarding lives and property, and calls on the public to continue to provide credible information and support to the Police in ensuring a safer Benue State,” DSP Edet said.
She added that the Commissioner “expressed appreciation to the Executive Governor of Benue State, His Excellency Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, for his continued support towards improving security infrastructure, as well as to the Inspector-General of Police for his leadership and reform-driven agenda.”
DSP Edet urged the public to “partner with the Police and make use of official communication channels to report suspicious activities promptly.”
The launch follows a string of high-profile abductions in Otukpo, Gwer West, and along the Taraku-Otukpo corridor. With the IGP’s reform agenda hitting the states, Benue Police say the VCRU will kill delay, crush rivalries between tactical teams, and put armed criminals on the run.
CP Emenari’s order is blunt — swift deployment, tight accountability, human rights compliance, and results. The VCRU is now Benue’s frontline fist against violent crime. Bandits, kidnappers, and their informants have been warned: the forests are no longer safe zones.
Residents are asked to feed the new unit with real-time intel. “No overlaps, no excuses,” the Command insists.
