4th October, 2016
The Operation Safe Haven Special Task Force in Plateau says it will engage the services of the Nigeria Prisons Service dogs in its activities.
Maj. Gen. Nicholas Rogers, the Commander of the task force made this known when he visited the Controller of the Prisons in Plateau, Mr Noel Ailewon, in Jos.
Rogers said that the dogs would be used in intelligence gathering and arrest of suspects, adding the dogs were good tool for curtailing vices such as drug peddling and weapon concealment.
“There are security issues of concern like drug use and hawking, illegal possession of weapons and so many other vices affecting the society, these dogs can help us meet up the challenges.
“We want to collaborate with the Nigeria Prisons to see how we can deploy these dogs as part of our security machinery to be able to gather more intelligence and make useful arrests,’’ he said.
Rogers said the taskforce would continue to sustain the relative peace enjoyed in the state through the collaboration with sister security agencies like the Police, DSS and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
In his remarks, Ailewon pledged to cooperate with all security agencies in the state toward enshrining lasting peace in the state.
He said that the dogs were used as deterrents against prison escape in the night among the 976 inmates of the prison.
The controller said that 545 of the inmates have been convicted while the others were awaiting trial.
He urged the state government to employ the prerogative of mercy in granting amnesty to inmates qualified through their conducts.
NAN reports that a novelty match between the prison inmates and the Special Task Force team was organised in honour of the STF commander with Taskforce winning 2 -1
The prison inmates also displayed their arts and craft products during the event.