The Nigerian Forest Security Service (NFSS) has vowed to rescue kidnapped Nigerians and reclaim the country’s forests from bandits, kidnappers, terrorists, and other criminals across the nation.
Commander General of the NFSS, Joshua Osatimehin, made this commitment during a four-day national workshop for NFSS officers, particularly those in the operations and intelligence departments, held at the MKO Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.
Osatimehin explained that the workshop aimed to enhance participants’ understanding of operations and local intelligence gathering to support the efforts of formal security agencies in protecting Nigeria’s forests.
He noted that about 3,600 officers from the operations and intelligence departments attended the workshop, which included presentations and lectures from the military, DSS, police, NSCDC, NDLEA, immigration, customs, and federal ministries related to the nation’s security.
“The primary goal of this workshop is to strengthen our collaboration with the relevant authorities.
“During the training, the DSS instructed us on gathering local intelligence in forest areas, while the police trained us on joint operations, and the military provided guidance on how we can work together to eliminate criminals from our forests nationwide,” he stated.
He emphasized that President Bola Tinubu’s establishment of the Nigerian Forest Security Service is an indication that citizens rely on the service.
“We want to send a clear message to bandits, kidnappers, Boko Haram, terrorists, and other criminals exploiting our forests for their nefarious activities: enough is enough.
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“The NFSS is prepared to drive them out and reclaim our forests. I assure you, we have the manpower and resources to accomplish this, as our personnel are ready for action in all 36 states and the FCT, as well as in all 774 local government areas of Nigeria,” the NFSS commander general declared.
Osatimehin also took the opportunity to urge Tinubu to ensure the full integration of the NFSS into Nigeria’s security framework, enabling the service to confront and remove all criminal elements from the forests.
Nigeria is home to 1,129 forest reserves, 29 game reserves, 17 national parks, and 417 grazing reserves.
“We have mapped out the connections between these forest areas as part of our responsibilities, drawing on the expertise of local hunters and forest specialists. Our understanding of the local terrain equips us to tackle criminal activities effectively.
“What we need now is for the president to help us become fully integrated into the National security framework so we can fulfill our constitutional duties, as Nigeria has high expectations of us, and we are prepared to meet them,” he added.
