August 09, (THEWILL) — The Kaduna State Government’s recent rollout out of 1,000 forest guards, part of the Presidential Forest Guards Initiative, was quite impressive and it indicated seriousness of purpose on the part of the government at the centre and sub-national levels to harmonise positions on the renewed fight against insecurity in the country.
Well- kitted and equipped, virile men displaying their readiness for the task ahead, signify a new era of doing things differently. Similar training has taken place in Edo and Kogi states where over 2,000 forest guards are said to be ready for deployment to identified hot spots.
The Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, disclosed that more than 9,000 personnel have now been trained to help secure the forests, parks and such hideouts often used by terrorists, bandits and insurgents across many identified danger zones in the country.
The implementation of the initiatives had brought allied agencies together in a synergy that would sustain it robustly. The involvement of the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services, with support from the National Intelligence Agency, Defence Headquarters, the Nigeria Police Force and the National Park Service, all in partnership with participating state governments should go a long way in improving security on a broader scale across communities in many states where the daredevils have been operating without hindrance.
Earlier training, graduation and deployment is said to have taken place in Borno, Sokoto, Yobe, Adamawa, Niger, Kwara and Kebbi states where more than 7,000 forest guards are said to have been deployed.
According to the ONSA, many of the recruits were drawn from communities affected by kidnapping, banditry, killings and repeated attacks because of their familiarity with forests, footpaths, rivers, remote settlements and routes linking communities and states.
All the recruits were said to have undergone adequate screening, due background checks and security vetting before selection to confirm their identities, community records and suitability for security duties.
The government said the initiative was designed to restrict the movement of criminal groups through poorly monitored forest corridors often used to establish camps, hide abducted victims and move across communities and state boundaries.
It noted that the officers would be deployed to forests, remote settlements, border communities and other areas affected by kidnapping, banditry and related crimes to support surveillance, early-warning efforts and intelligence-led operations.
Apart from commending the ONSA for proper coordination of the initiative, the governors of the participating states pledged to support the welfare, deployment and operations of the forest guards in their respective states. This is commendable.
With the Federal Government’s plan to implement state policing, expansion of the army, coupled with the plan to recruit 28,000 soldiers, build barracks and improve the welfare of soldiers, it is expected that the renewed war against insecurity will yield the desired results of restoring freedom of movement, security of life and property of Nigerians.
We urge the security agencies, the police, army and paramilitary groups to sink their differences and work with a single-minded purpose towards ridding the country of non-state actors who have made the country a living hell for Nigerians.
