Abuja: Amb. John Metchie, the Deputy Commander General of the Nigeria Forest Security Service (NFSS), has urged Gov. Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau to empower guards of the service to protect the people. Metchie made the call while reacting to the recent killing of over 50 people in Plateau.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Metchie expressed his heartfelt sympathy to the governor and the people of the state and mentioned that the Abuja headquarters of NFSS had already established a command in Plateau. He urged the state government to recruit young people and provide them with operational vehicles and other tools to safeguard the forests in collaboration with the military, police, and other security and intelligence agencies.
Metchie highlighted that Plateau is one of the states with the most forested areas in the country, making it susceptible to criminal infiltration. He stated, “The governor should deploy forest security operatives to guard borders and other strategic parts, as a way of deterring criminal elements from infiltration.”
He also emphasized that Nigeria’s large population of over 215 million cannot rely solely on already established security agencies. Metchie, who also serves as the African Director of the International Association of World Peace Advocates (IAWPA), noted that states like Kogi and Bauchi have embraced the services of NFSS, recording successes in securing these states.
Metchie explained that the NFSS’s primary mission is to curb crimes, especially those committed within forested regions, and that the service is well-equipped to assist existing security agencies through intelligence gathering and combat engagement. He also mentioned the advantage of recruiting operatives from local communities, which allows for better understanding and navigation of the terrains.
The NFSS boss concluded by calling on President Bola Tinubu to sign the NFSS Bill, recently passed by the senate, to strengthen security across the country.