NFSS makes fresh demand from Nigerian government

The Nigeria Forest Security Service (NFSS) has appealed to the Federal Government to formally include forest protection as a core part of the nation’s security architecture.

Deputy Commander-General of Intelligence at the NFSS, Dr. John Metchie, made the appeal during a zonal training session for NFSS personnel in Jos.

In a statement issued  on Sunday in Abuja, Metchie stressed that forests remain some of Nigeria’s most vulnerable and ungoverned spaces, yet receive limited focus in national security planning.

“Forest security is often overlooked in Nigeria’s broader security ecosystem.

“While the army, police, and other conventional forces patrol the cities and highways, vast forest areas across Nigeria remain largely unmonitored. That’s where we come in, and that is where we are needed most,” he said.

Metchie noted that the NFSS was established to address this gap by gathering intelligence in forest areas, monitoring movements, and partnering with other agencies to combat crimes such as banditry, arms trafficking, illegal mining, and cross-border offences.

He explained that NFSS operatives, being locals familiar with the terrain, have an advantage over conventional forces.

According to him, they are embedded in forest communities, making them effective in gathering intelligence.

The training, he added, was also being held in other states, including Nasarawa, Benue, and across the South-East and North-East, aimed at strengthening officers’ skills in intelligence gathering and inter-agency cooperation.

“Our operatives are trained to collect, analyse, and share forest-based intelligence with the army, police, and immigration services.

“We have been described as the missing link in Nigeria’s security framework and that is accurate.

“When we gather intelligence, we don’t act alone. We share with our sister agencies. Our job is complementary, not competitive,” he said.

Metchie also commended President Bola Tinubu for his leadership and urged him to sign the pending Forest Security Bill to grant the NFSS full legal recognition and legislative support.

“We are ready. Our men are trained, mobilised, and deployed. All we ask is legal backing so we can function optimally as a national security asset,” he said.

Commander of the Plateau State Command, David Mwahoss, said more than 5,000 officers were active across local communities in the state.

He acknowledged the sacrifices of NFSS personnel, noting that some had lost their lives while safeguarding forests and rural areas.

“If given full backing by the government, we can secure areas that conventional forces cannot easily access.

“NFSS officers are not outsiders, but locals who know every inch of the forest and can act quickly on credible intelligence.

“With insecurity in forests continuing to fuel wider instability, strengthening forest security is not an option, it is a necessity,” he said.