Why President Tinubu should sign NFSS Bill into law

Nigeria today is facing one of its most complex security challenges since independence. Banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, and armed robbery have taken root in the forests and rural areas, threatening lives, livelihoods, and national stability.

At the center of proposed solutions stands the Nigerian Forest Security Service (NFSS), a specialized force designed to secure Nigeria’s vast forests. With the National Assembly having passed the NFSS Establishment Bill, all that remains is President Bola Tinubu’s assent. Signing this bill into law would be a decisive step toward reclaiming Nigeria’s forests from criminals.

The uniqueness of the NFSS lies in its special mandate.

Unlike other agencies whose work touches the environment, conservation, or wildlife protection, the NFSS is built solely for forest-focused security. Its job is not to protect endangered species, but to protect Nigerians who are endangered by the criminal elements who hide in our forests. This makes NFSS a security-first organization, designed to bridge the gap between environmental spaces and national safety.

Nigeria’s forests have become a breeding ground for crime. From Kogi to Benue, Plateau to Zamfara, violent groups use forests as their operational base. Kidnappers transport their victims through thick vegetation, bandits regroup in forest camps, and terrorists use wooded border regions to smuggle arms. By establishing NFSS, the government will have an institution whose sole mandate is to understand, monitor, and secure these difficult terrains where conventional forces struggle to operate effectively.

The NFSS already has a track record, despite not yet having legal backing. Founded in 2016, it operates in 14 states with over 40,000 members.

Its officers have worked alongside the police, military, NSCDC, and the Office of the National Security Adviser in critical areas like Sambisa Forest. Unlike ad hoc vigilante groups, the NFSS is structured, trained, and disciplined, but it remains under-resourced without legal recognition. Signing the bill would transform it from a loosely supported force into a formal part of Nigeria’s security architecture.

One key distinction between NFSS and existing forest-related bodies is its focus on intelligence and counter-crime. The National Park Service, for example, protects endangered species and ecosystems.

The NFSS, by contrast, collects intelligence, conducts surveillance, and directly supports security operations in forests. Its core mandate is security, not conservation, making it a necessary complement rather than a competitor to other agencies.

The benefits of formally establishing NFSS are far-reaching. It would ensure better funding, equipment, and training for its personnel, who already risk their lives daily.

It would also guarantee welfare for officers who are injured or killed in action – something absent today. Formal recognition would also unlock access to modern surveillance tools such as drones, radios, and motorcycles, giving NFSS the capacity to outmaneuver criminals in forested terrain.

In terms of national security strategy, NFSS offers a cost-effective solution. Conventional forces like the army and police are overstretched, deployed to multiple fronts across the country.

By carving out a specialized agency dedicated to forests, NFSS relieves pressure on these forces and allows them to focus on broader operations.

As the NFSS Commander General, Joshua Wole Osatimehin has explained, the organisation knows the terrain, understands how criminals move, and has proven experience in neutralizing them when given operational space.

The fight against terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping cannot be won without securing Nigeria’s forests.

Boko Haram, ISWAP, and splinter groups thrive in wooded areas where they train and regroup. Bandits in Zamfara and Kaduna use forests to evade arrest, while kidnappers in Kogi and Ondo exploit forest cover to hide victims.

Without a specialized forest force, Nigeria is fighting with one hand tied. The NFSS provides that missing hand.

Refusing to sign the NFSS bill carries dangerous implications. It would mean that the Service continues to exist without recognition, leaving its officers poorly supported and demoralized. It would embolden criminals who already view forests as safe havens. And it would prolong the suffering of rural communities who remain vulnerable to abductions, killings, and extortion.

Delay is not neutral, it strengthens the hand of insecurity.

Moreover, a refusal would undermine confidence in government’s promises to prioritize security.

Traditional rulers, such as the Alake of Egbaland, have already appealed to the President to give NFSS legal backing. Communities see in NFSS a grassroots defense mechanism that complements the military. To ignore these appeals would be to ignore both the Senate’s resolution and the voices of local leaders who know the realities on the ground.

Signing the NFSS bill also aligns with President Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” agenda. Hope must be anchored in security, for without safety, economic growth and social stability cannot thrive. By empowering NFSS, the President would not only be protecting lives but also restoring faith in government’s ability to respond decisively to Nigeria’s most urgent threats.

For these reasons, the NFSS bill deserves urgent assent. Nigeria cannot afford further delay while forests fall under criminal control.

The President has before him an opportunity to make history – by giving constitutional life to a force uniquely designed for the times. Mr. President, the call is clear:

Sign the NFSS Bill now. Secure our forests, protect our people, and demonstrate that the renewed hope agenda is not just a slogan, but a lived reality for Nigerians