The Taraba State government has confirmed it is training marshals approved by lawmakers to oversee the enforcement of the ban on open grazing.

The government denied the allegation that it is training an illegal security outfit in the state.

Mr Bala Dan-Abu, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Darius Ishaku, said in Jalingo, that the, “truth is that the Taraba State government is not involved in any illegal training of security personnel anywhere in the state”.

Dan-Abu described the claim allegedly made by the Special Military Task Force in the state as false and a gross misrepresentation of facts.

He explained that the only training being conducted by the government was that of the marshals.

“The training being conducted for the government by a licenced security agency is for marshals, as approved by the Taraba State House of Assembly under the state’s Open Grazing Restriction and Establishment of Ranches Law.

“The legislation which was duly made by the House of Assembly provides for marshals to assist with the enforcement of the law.

“The current training in Serti, Gashaka Local Government of Taraba State is the second of such exercises in the state and we will like to say, with emphasis that this training does not involve the use of any form of weapon.”

Dan-Abu state that the government had sent letters to all the formations of the security agencies in the state to inform them of the training, stressing that the letters were duly acknowledged.

He, therefore, wondered how one of the recipients of the letters would deny its knowledge of the training which he said was being conducted in a public school. (NAN)