The Nigeria Forest Security Service (NFSS) says collaborations with governors of the Southeast states will greatly help to fight forest crimes.
This will also aid grassroots transformation and rural development in the region.
Commander-General, NFSS, Dr. Joshua Osatimehin, stated this at the closing of the organization’s nationwide sensitization visit to zonal commands, held at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium Enugu.
The NFSS boss said the organization has come to complement the efforts of the parenting agencies through the provision of actionable intelligence from the forest.
This he noted would help to rid the nation’s forested regions off crimes and criminalities for sustainable grassroots development.
Osatimehin explained that the community-based hunter association has been to 36 states and 774 local government areas in the country with the mandate to secure the nation’s forested regions.
He called for logistic support from the Southeast state governments especially from the Enugu State Government.
Commander-General appealed to the state governor to incorporate operatives of the Nigeria Forest Security Service (NFSS) into the state’s internal security architecture.
Complementary force
According to him, NFSS is ready to support the Police and other constituted authorities through the provision of actionable intelligence to aid reduction in crimes and criminality.
“NFSS is very important for efficiency and effective service delivery in the region, expressing their firm resolve to fight forest crimes to a standstill.
“Our members know the forest linkages in Nigeria and we have trained them to gather useful information for the constituted authorities.
“Nigeria as whole has about 1,129 forest reserves, 29 forest games and 17 national parks located around the forest terrains.
“We are here to complement the efforts of the constituted authorities in securing the aforementioned places.”
Structure, manpower in place
In a remark, Deputy Commander-General (Intelligence Department), NFSS, Dr. John Metchie, reiterated the need for Enugu State Government to recruit and incorporate operatives of the Service into the state’s internal security architecture.
“The NFSS has the structure and manpower to play its complimentary role in the security of lives and properties of the citizenry.
“Officers and men of NFSS are law-abiding and well-trained by parenting bodies to discharge their duties diligently especially as it concerns fighting criminals taking over farmlands and submerging the nation’s forests.”
Metchie noted that the officers and men of the service have the natural efficacy and the local science needed to curb issues of criminality within the forested regions.
“Southeast has 95 local government areas and Enugu State has 17 council areas and we have also studied the forest linkages in the entire Southeast.
“We know all the forests linkages as well as interconnectivity of operations of criminals.”
Enugu state commissioner of Police, represented by Oliver Odimega, ACP (Operations), affirmed that the Nigeria Forest Security Service (NFSS) has come to stay.
The CP who described NFSS as critical partners in the nation’s security architecture, expressed deep concern that the nation’s forests have become the citizens’ nightmares.
“Most of the criminalities carried out in the cities and towns are hatched from the forests,” he noted.
He maintained that the security of the nation is primary linked to security of forests.
The Police boss reminded NFSS personnel of their crucial role and the critical need for collaborations.
