By Mala Abdulazeez Mohammed
Yobe State government has urged the newly recruited forest guards to discharge their duties with discipline, honesty and a strong sense of responsibility in order to secure forest areas across the state.
Governor Mai Mala Buni made the call during the passing out parade of the first batch of 886 forest guards, drawn from the 17 LGAs of the state held at the 233 Tank Battalion, Damaturu.
The Governor, represented by his Deputy, Hon. Idi Barde Gubana, said the conduct, discipline and commitment of the forest guards would determine the effectiveness of the new security architecture, not only in Yobe, but across the country.
He explained that beyond the recruitment of forest guards, the present administration had made significant contributions to improving the state’s security situation since assuming office in 2019.
He said the government bought and distributed over 30 Toyota Hilux vehicles to the police, leading to the establishment of Operation Haba Maza, which helped ease logistical challenges faced by the police, in addition to the 47 JMC four-wheel drive vehicles and 50 motorcycles presented to other security agencies to further strengthen security operations.
Governor Buni revealed that intelligence reports indicated that forests had increasingly become hideouts for criminal elements, stressing that the forest guards would be properly equipped to combat security threats such as banditry, kidnapping and terrorism.
He said the initiative aimed to flush out criminal gangs from ungoverned forest spaces and ensure the safety of residents, farmers and visitors.
Earlier, in his keynote address, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, represented by CP Adamu Musa Askira, said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the establishment of forest guards to protect Nigeria’s vast forests, many of which had been infiltrated by terrorists and other criminal elements.
He explained that the recruitment exercise was a collaborative security effort between the federal government and state governments involving the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Federal Ministry of Environment.
In his opening remarks, the Special Adviser on Security Matters to the Governor, Brigadier General Dahiru Abdulsalam (Rtd), commended the efforts of the Buni administration in addressing security challenges in the state.
He urged citizens, community leaders and other stakeholders to support the forest guards with timely and useful information to enable them to carry out their duties effectively and diligently.
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