Following the recent killing of eight vigilantes by suspected bandits in Kanam Local Government Area of Plateau State, the Commander General of the Nigeria Forest Security Service (NFSS), Joshua Osatime, has renewed calls for President Bola Tinubu to urgently sign the NFSS Bill into law.
Osatime warned that Nigeria’s forests are increasingly falling under the control of criminal elements, stressing that only formal legal backing can empower the NFSS to effectively tackle the threat nationwide.
“The forests are no longer safe. Bandits and criminal groups have taken over,” he said.
“We know how these criminals move and how they can be neutralised within the forests if we are empowered.”
Osatime emphasised that the NFSS, established in 2016, already operates in 14 states with over 40,000 personnel. However, he lamented the lack of a legal framework, which has left the agency under-resourced and without official recognition.
“We lost two of our members during a joint operation in Kaduna. The military was compensated, but for our men, we had to contribute ₦1,000 each from our pockets to support the families,” he revealed.
The NFSS, he said, collaborates with various security agencies — including the police, military, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the Office of the National Security Adviser. The service, according to Osatime, has provided intelligence support in high-risk areas such as Sambisa Forest and border regions connecting Niger and Cameroon.
Clarifying the distinct role of the NFSS, he said:
“The National Park Service is focused on protecting endangered species and the ecosystem. Our job is intelligence gathering, surveillance, and security operations within forested regions.”
He expressed frustration over delays in the presidential assent to the NFSS bill, which has already been passed by both chambers of the National Assembly.
“If the president signs the bill today, we will have the confidence and tools to do more and reclaim our forests from criminal elements,” Osatime said.
Highlighting broader security challenges, he drew attention to the aftermath of the Libyan crisis and the resulting instability in the Sahel.
“Those fighters from Libya didn’t just disappear. They’re now infiltrating our forests. Nigeria must be proactive,” he warned.
Concluding with a direct appeal to the federal government, Osatime stressed the cost-effectiveness of the NFSS proposal:
“What we’re proposing is cost-effective. Give us recognition, give us the tools — motorcycles, radios, surveillance equipment — and we will deliver results,” he stated.
Security experts and stakeholders continue to urge swift action as forested areas across the country become increasingly vulnerable to banditry, terrorism, and cross-border criminal networks.
