Insecurity: NFSS FCT and North West Commands Intensify Local Intelligence Efforts to Tackle Banditry

In an effort to enhance safety across the Federal Capital Territory, the Nigeria Forest Security Service (NFSS), FCT Command, has intensified its local intelligence-gathering operations within the six Area Councils of the Territory.

The FCT Commander of NFSS, Mr. Bawa Atnadu, disclosed this in Abuja during the Service’s Security Summit themed “Enhancing Forest Security in Nigeria: Challenges, Opportunity and Innovation.”

Mr. Atnadu explained that the summit was convened to further strategize on ways to complement the efforts of formal security agencies in addressing insecurity within the FCT.

He noted that officers and men of the NFSS in the FCT are currently undergoing various training and retraining programmes aimed at improving their performance in line with international best practices.

The Commander, therefore, appealed for the support of the Minister of the FCT, Dr. Nyesom Wike, Area Council Chairmen, Traditional and Religious Leaders, and other stakeholders to enable the NFSS to carry out its mandate effectively and ensure a safer and better Federal Capital Territory.

Mr. Atnadu also emphasized the need for the Federal Government to strengthen the NFSS through appropriate legislative backing.

Speaking on some of the achievements of the NFSS in the North West, the Commander in charge of the region, Mallam Habibu Shehu, revealed that the Service, through local intelligence, had arrested and handed over several bandits to security agencies.

He called for the support of State Governors, Traditional Rulers, and Local Government Chairmen in the North West to promote the programmes and activities of the NFSS, aimed at clearing the region of bandits, kidnappers, Boko Haram elements, and other criminal groups threatening peace and stability.

Mallam Habibu Shehu, who commended the Commander General of NFSS, Dr. Joshua Osatimehin, for creating opportunities for officers and men to acquire essential security knowledge, reiterated the commitment of the NFSS to protecting the lives and property of Nigerians, particularly within the nation’s forested areas.

Other stakeholders and speakers at the Security Summit applauded the NFSS for its years of selfless service and urged President Bola Tinubu to assent to the NFSS Bill to further strengthen the nation’s security architecture and advance his renewed hope agenda in the area of security.

The NFSS Security Summit, which drew stakeholders from across the nation’s security sector, featured paper presentations and an awards ceremony.