By Sumaila Ogbaje
The Nigeria Forest Security Service (NFSS) has called for deeper synergy among security and law-enforcement agencies to curb crimes taking place within the nation’s vast forest reserves.
Osatimehin said the summit was designed to strengthen partnership between the NFSS and other constituted authorities to combat forest-related crimes such as illegal logging, smuggling, kidnapping and drug trafficking.
The agencies according to him. include the Police, Armed Forces, Customs, Immigration, Civil Defence and NDLEA.
“Nigeria has over 10 million hectares of forested land and 1,129 forest reserves many ungoverned and unprotected.
“As foresters, we understand the linkages of these forests, making us critical to gathering local intelligence in support of national security,” he said.
Osatimehin added that the NFSS would act as “baby police” within the forested zones, focusing on intelligence, investigation, and prosecution, while partnering with other agencies on joint operations and information sharing.
Speaking on behalf of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), ACG Ogah Benson of the Agro Rangers, said the corps was ready to collaborate closely with the NFSS to enhance intelligence sharing and forest protection.
Benson urged participants to see the workshop not as a social gathering but as a strategic platform to develop solutions to insecurity, vandalism and terrorism in forest areas.
“Collaboration is key. When agencies work together, it reduces cost, prevents waste and brings new ideas.
“Sharing intelligence will make it easier to detect and arrest criminal elements operating in the forests,” he said.
Also speaking, the Deputy Director of Intelligence at the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Samuel Namalem, who represented the NDLEA Chairman, said the agency attached great importance to its partnership with the NFSS.
He assured that the NDLEA would continue to work with the NFSS and other security bodies to dismantle drug networks and tackle emerging threats within Nigeria’s forest corridors.
“Most cannabis cultivation and even methamphetamine production now occur in forested areas.
“That is why this collaboration is so crucial,” he said, stressing the need for training in intelligence collection, processing and application to strengthen joint enforcement efforts.
The event brought together representatives of the Police, Armed Forces, NDLEA, Civil Defence, Customs, Immigration and other agencies to deliberate on practical ways of improving coordination in forest security operations. (NAN)
