The early years kidnappers were used to escorting their victims to uncompleted houses from where necessary contacts are made for ransom to be delivered to the kidnappers. However, with time, these kidnappers have resorted to escorting their victims into nearby forest. Reason being that the forest gives them the necessary ambiance needed for good opportunity and better surveillance position to monitor movements of security personnels who could be on rescue operation mission. More often, gory tales of how kidnapped victims are tortured and marched into the forest before ransom are paid. Such barbaric tales made it more necessary for governments at every level to organize and live up to their constitutional mandate of securing the life of citizens. Record shows that the vast forest in the country are not yet secured and well utilised and managed there is a lot of vandalisation in the vast forest reserves across the country. Unfortunately the vast forest reserve is not well managed for the Economic gain for the country.
Instead individuals harvest the forest materials for there personal gains. It is noticeable that every home, offices and hospitals got every furniture from the forests so there is the need to properly manage these forests especially when armed bandits and other criminals have resorted into using these forests materials as hangouts and detention points. Accordingly, to records, Nigeria is blessed with a large expanse of forest cover but this important resource is not sustainably used, managed and/or conserved. Historically, forestry development in Nigeria began with reservation of forest lands in order to manage, maintain forest reserves and provide a supply of timber. This was followed by exploitation of forest resources to meet both export and burgeoning local demand as well as to earn much needed foreign exchange. Since the country’s independence in 1960, development phase of the Nigerian forest resources management began which focus on the development of forest plantations. The records in the Federal Department of Forestry as of 2006 shows that Nigeria has a total of 1,160 constituted forest reserves including 6 National Parks, 20 Game and Wildlife sanctuaries, 13 proposed Game Reserves/Wildlife Sanctuaries and 8 Strict Nature Reserves. Unlike the United State of America The United state forest service (USFS) is an agency within the US department of Agriculture . It’s administers the 154 national forest and 20national grasslands discovering 193 million acres (780,000km) of land . No wonder local hunters operating in the forest came together to form a body known as many years ago know asNigeria hunter and forest security service their mandate was to corporate with the police in combating criminals in the forest across the country , they were collaborating with the Nigeria police force to curb and report criminal activities in the forest belt. Meanwhile with the rate of criminal activities like banditry and kidnapping in the forest,these armed local hunters are coming together to form a more formidable group that would help in combating and stopping the issue of kidnapping whereby forest are used as ransom collection centers. Is an umbrella body of hunters in Nigeria, formerly known as the Nigeria Hunter Council. mandate is to support the Nigeria Police and other security agencies in protecting lives and properties in ungoverned areas, such as forests and bushes. Objectives include curbing crime and criminalities in Nigeria’s forests, promoting effective communication with the police, and promptly reporting suspicious activities. The Proposed Transition to Nigeria Forest Guard Services (NFGS): The NHFSS is proposing a transition to the NFGS to strengthen the nation’s security. This transition aims to combat crimes more effectively in ungoverned spaces, including kidnapping, banditry, and other crimes perpetrated in forests, bushes, and similar territories. The Role of Forest Guards: Forest guards are seen as a crucial element in addressing the security challenges in ungoverned territories.
They are tasked with protecting farmers, flushing out bandits, and generally maintaining order in these areas.
Some states are actively recruiting and deploying forest guards to address these issues. of Forest Guard , it’s an avenue for job creation for the merad of unemployed youths in the country. Alternatively all local vigilante and state owned security guards could be collapsed to strengthen the formation of national Forest guard and should be under the supervision of a senior police officer in the state police system.
Readers perspective
Crime in Nigeria has it’s begining. Every country in the world has it’s peculiar challenges, so crime in Nigeria became prevalent with the raging socio economic and political dimension, there is the issue of centeredness that cowed youths into violent crime with the urge to acquire wealth by all means through illegally. In the early days, there was the Aba women riots, western market women revolt, mai-tasine upsurge in Kano, was so frightening, there were characters like Dr Oyenusi, Shino Rambo, Tony Montana aka black scorpion, Kelvin episode, Aneni saga to mention but a few. Another twist to violent crime is the Political syndrome, politicians lured innocent youths into their vanguard’s and armed then in a guise to defend their votes, after wining, they abandoned them to their faith fully armed, they also cannot disarm them or mob up these weapons, the end result? the youths go into robber to fend for themselves. Clearly, politicians in one way or d other, breed armed robbers by proxy. Yet government has the task to mitigate in this troubling menace nationally. These are some of the ravaging issue within d corridor of violent crime facing the country. Yet, herders from the Sahel region flocked into the country in the name of ECOWAS movement, they came in drove with their cows, sheep’s and so on with their sophisticated weapons clift to their animals unchecked, in search for grazing and greener pastures, later they turn out to be our greatest enemy now known as terrorist, they kidnap, kill, collect Ransome and destroy foodcrops recklessly, government needs to move in swiftly to checkmate this ugly trend before things get out of hand, by appointing officers of all the security agencies who have the prerequisite knowledge, wisdom, skill, expertise and humble with wealth of experience.
Appointing officers of the security agencies sentimentally kills the system entirely, promote indiscipline and reter progress. AN ADAGE SAID. PUT D RIGHT PECK IN THE RIGHT HOLE. In d nineties, Gen. B. Marwa was appointed Military Gov.lagos state. On his arrival, he had hardly settled down for business. One SATURDAY MORNING. this dreaded notorous armed gangstars SHINO RAMBO welcome the governor. They sneaked into Lagos streets early morning. Robbed, killed
Maimed and escaped to BENIN REPUBLIC in their usual fashion, I was the acting SARS COMMANDER ( scorpion ) On Tuesday morning, the governor drove to my office, on arrival, he demand to interview five hardened armed robbers in custody and want to see two each of all calibre of weapons we have recovered from armed robbers. I did as he directed.He asked the robbers how do they beat armed army/police check points into Lagos and out to escape. Muyiwa told the governor that “ WHO FIRE FIRST WIN THE WAR. he was bolt n told the governor that they have AK47 rifles, submachine guns while the police are armed with Lar rifles n SMG, SHOCK AS D GOVERNOR was, before he left he directs I should make video films of their confession, their interviews/interrogation and display then monthly during each SECURITY COUNCIL meetings in government house. This strategy paid off, and formed the OPERATION SWEEP, motivate all the boys in the field, provided vehicles, weapons, bullet proof vest, steel helmets etc as a tool. If this character is the National Security Adviser if any country is of course he shall change the narrative in the security palance. Government should look onward and adjust her security strategies to reflect the current realities, in making appointment into the security agencies, expertise, experience, wisdom n knowledge of the office should be the yardstick.there should be no room for political, sentimental or religion as a factor, even if it entails going for A RETIRED OFFICER OF THE SERVICE to be appointed based on his or her experience, there is nothing wrong in that provided the necessary result shall be achieved on the long run. Dsp Maichibi rtd(former Anti command, Lagos State.+234 803 329 0489