By Eguono Odegba

Following proposals and ongoing debate at the National Assembly to increase the nation’s security architecture believed to have fallen short of requirement owoing to Nigeria’s growing population and rising insecurity, the Nigerian Hunter and Forest Security Service, NHFSS, has recommended the collapse of the NHFSS into a new organ to be known as the Nigeria Forest Guards Services, NFGS.

Leading the appeal, Deputy Commander General of NHFSS, Amb. Dr. Johnny Metchie said the establishment of the Nigeria Forest Guard which will subsume the structure, expertise and resources of the NHFSS will provide the unique competence and capability to combat various kinds of crimes that has long become prevalent in ungoverned spaces within the nation’s forests, bushes, deserts and other forms of landscapes.

According to him, the proposed Forest Guard should have greater scope of mandate and reach such that it would be solely responsible for eliminating crimes within the landscapes, be it socio-economic crimes, insurgency, territorial aggression bothering on regional agitation, etc. 

He explained that the Forest Guard devolving as such from NHFSS as a security organ has the promise of a cohesive, professional, well tailored security system that has the wherewithal to penetrate the nation’s forests, bushes and landscapes to rid all ungoverned spaces of all criminal activities.

He further explained that the initiative will enhance the national security and safeguard ungoverned territories for sustainable economic development of the nation. Metchie stated that this will serve as a potent solution to kidnapping, banditry and other crimes perpetuated through forests, bushes and related ungoverned territories in the country, particularly in parts of northern and central Nigeria, in which the nation’s sovereignty and security is being severely challenged.

Metchie added that apart from many other losses to Nigeria too numerous to count, each time people are kidnapped and taken into the bushes, the nation continues to lose billions of naira and Forex from possible FDI due to bad image and negative reputation arising not only from kidnapping and ransom taking but also from banditry, separatist agitations and related crimes. 

He decried a situation where insecurity that has become rampant in Nigeria due to the unmanned, ungoverned territories has led to many companies leaving the country; and stressed that Nigeria cannot afford not to establish a Forest Guard at this critical stage.

He further explained that the structure required for it already exists in the NHFSS, noting that all that is required is the legislative proposal and approval by relevant organs of government. DCG Metchie commended the Federal Government of Nigeria for the efforts committed to add greater impetus to the fight against insecurity in Nigeria.

Reminded that there are other proposals like the establishment of the Nigeria Mines Ranger Service, NMRS, the bill of which passed through a public hearing recently, and the demand by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC, to be given the funds earmarked for the new security outfits to make it deliver more on its mandate; Metchie argued that no security arrangement to penetrate the forests and landscape can be as effective, result oriented and reassuring as the Forest Guard. 

According to DCG Metchie, a Nigeria Forest Guards Services will not require a holistic new start but one which is transmuting from the Nigerian Hunter and Forest Security Service (NHFSS) alone, can serve as the critical missing link in the nation’s security architecture, with respect to fighting criminalities in ungoverned forests spaces and other areas like the deserts and savannas. 

Sincere and passionate about the present state of national insecurity, Metchie thinks that unless a forest guard is incorporated into national security system, the challenges may remain because of the security vulnerability in bushes, forests and other ungoverned areas; which the NHFSS is already largely and professionally accustomed.

Identifying with prevailing suggestions by opinion leaders that the major challenge in combating insecurity in Nigeria within the huge ungoverned territories, which are mostly in the forests, bushes, deserts, as well as in creeks, swampy areas and other difficult terrains, Metchie said the seeming impenetrability of the unmanned spaces is due to inadequate capacity. 

“This is the capacity and gap we as Forest Guards want to fill,” he assured.

It will be recalled that during the public hearing on the proposed expansion of the national security architecture including the debated Nigeria Mines Ranger Service, Senator Garba Musa Maidoki, representing Kebbi South Senatorial District averred that there is urgent need for more hands to come into the security architecture of the nation.

The Distinguished Senator worried that he cannot visit his community without fear and worries of been kidnapped any moment.

The erudite professional forest protector and guard stated that apart from many other losses to Nigeria too numerous to count, each time people are kidnapped and taken into the bushes, the nation continues to lose billions of naira and Forex from possible FDI due to bad image and negative reputation caused by kidnaping, banditry, separatism, extremism and related crimes. He decried a situation where insecurity that has become rampant in Nigeria due to the unmanned, ungoverned territories has led to many companies leaving the country. 

He commended the Federal Government of Nigeria for the efforts committed to add greater impetus to the fight against insecurity in Nigeria, especially considering Government’s moves to establish new Security Agencies in the country.

He faulted submissions by some stakeholders who are pushing for the establishment of  the Nigeria Mines Ranger Service, NMRS, as a new offshoot out of the present Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC, noting that the Civil Defence was established to respond to social unrest and menace and therefore cannot lacks the orientation and nature of a security service that can counter security threats in the forests and bushes.

He also disagreed with a recent statement credited to Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, NSCDC Commandant-General at the public hearing on the Bill to establish the Nigeria Mines Ranger Service in Abuja. 

The Civil Defense boss had requested the Federal Government to use funds budgeted for the establishment of new Security outfits to fund the NSCDC, noting that the suggestion is self serving and narrow; and does not reflect the overall security wellbeing of the country.

It will be recalled that Distinguished Senator Garba Musa Maidoki, representing Kebbi South Senatorial District, had immediately tackled Audi for seeking to railroad the budget for creating a sector based security organ whilst the Civil Defence according to him, has reportedly been unable to do the good job assigned to it.

Averring that there is urgent need for more hands to come into the security architecture of the nation, the Distinguished Senator worried that he cannot visit his community without having butterflies in his stomach, as he could be kidnapped any moment. 

Opinion leaders have long identified the major challenge of combating insecurity in Nigeria, made worse by the large expanse of ungoverned territories, which are mostly in the forests, bushes, deserts, as well as in creeks, swampy areas and other difficult terrains that are unmanned due to inadequate capacity. 

Metchie expressed the view that unless the existing gap and lacuna in the security architecture is strengthened and expanded the challenges may remain; and even become worse.

Thus he posits that the metamorphosis of the NHFSS into Nigeria Forest Guard Service, can be structured in such a manner that personnel will exist at the grassroots among the people and working in the familiar terrain, be it bushes, forests, deserts or creeks, guarantees efficiency and result.

“We have personnel who have traditionally operated in these areas for most parts of their lives, and they are consistently training and transferring the formal and traditional skills of surviving and taking control of these difficult terrains to younger recruits and officers. 

“Why The Nigeria Forest Guard is the best approach to solving Nigeria’s security problem is that the establishment will ensure that all ungoverned territories and spaces in the country will be manned and brought under firm sovereign control of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“This will seamlessly happen when the NHFSS become a full-fledged Security Organ of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. NHFSS has the Management, Administrative and Operations network that are well-structured in line with modern security architecture for global best national security operations and services in ungoverned, unmanned difficult terrains. 

“The familiarity of the environment and penetration of our officers and men to the deepest hinterlands in forest and bushes, as well as creeks, deserts and other ungoverned areas of the country are what Nigeria need to rout out criminals from these areas. 

“With requisite Federal backing and provision of necessary security gadgets, our men will further leverage on familiarity of terrain, our large numerical strength, experience and grassroots spread to man all territories, including the very difficult terrains. 

“The primary and earliest mandate of the NHFSS is to support the Nigeria Police and other Security Agencies to protect lives and properties in the ungoverned areas, especially Forests and Bushes, Creeks and Desert areas in Nigeria. We have, over the years, deployed a lot of resources and efforts to optimize our capacity to work with other security operatives to detect and prevent forest crimes and insecurity in these ungoverned territories through intelligence sharing and physical interventions. 

“We are committed and determined to continue to improve the quality and performance of our men and officers, many of whom are currently engaged in the protection of various public safety and sensitive facilities within various communities, especially in bushes, forest and other difficult or remote hinterlands in Nigeria. 

“The NHFSS has good relationship and strong collaboration with, not just the Nigeria Police Force, but also the National Drug Law and Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, who we often train with on global best practices in handling safety and security matters in bushes, forests and other ungoverned areas in Nigeria.” 

Reacting to the issue of funding, the intelligence chief averred that empirical analysis conducted by his team has revealed that the revenue accruable to the Federal Government in various sectors linked to Forests, Creeks, Deserts and other currently ungoverned spaces would increase by over 100% once the NHFSS is incorporated in the security architecture of the Federal Government to fill the gap of protecting these areas and maintaining the sovereignty of the nation. 

Passionate about the national security, Metchie explained that the whereas the entire security network has a duty to protect oil pipelines and installations which runs through the nation’s vast bushes and  Forests, the NHFSS by extension the proposed Forest Guard by virtue of its unique mandate is closest and the first in the front line. 

He explained that with limited resources, officers and men of the NHFSS have succeeded several times in aborting and truncating criminal activities in bushes and forests in Nigeria by applying modern hardware and technology, as well as by cultural and traditional methods. He said with the right synergy and partnership,  the nation have no reason not to be able to defeat insecurity in all its vestiges. 

“The uncommon partnership and collaboration currently existing between the Executive and the National Assembly will fill the gap the National Security Architecture needs and provide the missing link for total security of every part of the nation.”

This, he said will be achieved by giving legislative backing for NHFSS to transition into Nigeria Forest Guard Services as part of national security structure. 

“NHFSS, on our part, is ready, prepared and committed as an Organisation, with the support of Legislation, we will man all ungoverned spaces in Nigeria and help to restore security and order. 

“This will curb kidnapping, banditry, extremist and separatist activities and other crimes and impact positively on food production, crude oil output, curbing of illegal mining and increase the contribution of solid minerals to the national GDP.”