By Sunday Ogli, Makurdi
Benue State Government on Sunday trained security officers on basic Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights, VPSHR to end human rights violations in the state.
The training which was conducted for security operatives in the state was jointly organised by the Special Advisers to the Governor on Security and Internal Affairs, Mr Joseph Har and that of Security and Strategic Liaison.
Addressing the participants, Har, urged them to adopt human rights principles to balance security and end human rights violations.
He said there was every need for the government to retrain officers working in the state to mitigate the rates of human rights abuses allegedly caused by security operatives.
Har said the training would lay the foundation for the forthcoming Code of Conduct document for security personnel in the state, which would incorporate the VPSHR guidelines.
He said the document aimed to foster ethical conduct, accountability, and transparency within the security sector.
In his presentation, Dr. Josep Wanshe, Acting State Coordinator, National Human Rights Commission, NHRC in Benue, said the Commission was committed to human rights education for security personnel.
Wanshe said the NHRC was dedicated to equipping security operatives with the principles of VPSHR.
He provided a detailed VPSHR framework, designed to help security personnel integrate respect for human rights into their operations.
“This training empowers our security personnel to perform their duties with a rights-compliant approach, which is essential for building trust and fostering protection within our communities”, he said.