Security Summit Participants Urge President Tinubu to Grant Constitutional Recognition to Nigeria Forest Security Service (NFSS)

By our Reporter

Participants at a two-day security summit in Abuja have called on President Bola Tinubu to grant constitutional recognition to the Nigeria Forest Security Service (NFSS) by signing its establishment Bill into law.

The summit, organized by the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence, was themed “Managing Security and Security Challenges at the Grassroots in Nigeria: The Role of Critical Stakeholders.”

One of the participants, Mr. Akinwande Olorunshola, Chief Security Officer of the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Ogun State, noted that with the increasing cases of kidnapping, banditry, and other criminal activities across the country, it has become necessary for the Federal Government to fully integrate the NFSS into Nigeria’s security framework.

Expressing concern over the nation’s worsening security situation, Mr. Olorunshola commended the NFSS for complementing the efforts of other formal security agencies in combating insecurity over the years.

Also speaking, the Chief Security Officer of Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area of Rivers State, Mr. Daniel Tamuno, emphasized that security challenges are largely local, calling on all levels of government to strengthen the protection of lives and property from the grassroots. He further advocated legal backing for the NFSS, as well as enhanced training, retraining, and empowerment of security personnel nationwide.

Addressing participants on the theme of the summit, the Commander General of the NFSS, Dr. Joshua Osatimehin, highlighted the vast number of forests across the country, noting that the Service is adequately equipped to ensure safety and security once granted the necessary legal status.

Dr. Osatimehin commended President Bola Tinubu for approving the establishment of Forest Guards to help flush out bandits and other criminals operating within the nation’s forests. He added that once signed into law, the NFSS Bill would further support the realization of the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda in the area of national security.

He reaffirmed the NFSS’s continued collaboration with other security agencies to help the country overcome its security challenges.

Declaring the summit closed, the Chairman of the House Committee on National Security and Intelligence, Hon. Ahmed Satomi—represented by the Committee Clerk, Mr. Daniel Labija—commended participants for their valuable contributions toward addressing Nigeria’s security issues.

He explained that the summit’s communiqué would be submitted to relevant security authorities and the Federal Government to aid in formulating lasting solutions to the nation’s security challenges.