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Tag: NHFSS

  • Civilian JTF merges with NHFSS to fight insecurity

    Civilian JTF merges with NHFSS to fight insecurity

    The Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) has formally collapsed into the Nigerian Hunters and Forest Security Service (NHFSS).

    At a joint press conference on Tuesday at the Abuja headquarters of the NHFSS, Commander General of the Service, Dr. Wole Joshua Osatimehin, said it was a thing of joy and great benefit to Nigeria that the CJTF decided to collapse its national, state and local government structures into the NHFSS. He added that their coming would boost the operations of the NHFSS.

    Osatimehin said that the NHFSS has 43,386 officers and men and announced that 200 cadets recruited by the Potiskum Local Government in Yobe State, passed out of training in the State last Saturday.

    National Commander of the CJTF, Amb Nwachukwu Adah informed CJTF was originally founded by Vice President Kashim Shetimma when he was Governor of Borno state which was meant to fight terrorism at that time.

    Nwachukwu Adah said however that he single-handedly established CJTF first in his Rivers state and went on to establish it in Abuja and all other states across the country.

    He stated that the decision to merge with the NHFSS was taken after coming to the realisation that they have been operating and blindly without formal incorporation and considering the well-organised structure of the Nigerian Hunters and Forest Security Service as a legally registered organization.

    According to Adah, there are over 10,000 members of the CJTF across the 36 States and the FCT and declared that by collapsing into the NHFSS, the CJTF is no longer in existence.

    He also said that the fact that the National Assembly has passed the NHFSS Bill into law is an indication that the government has partly recognised the Hunters Service.

    He directed officers and men of the CJTF to report to the office of the NHFSS in surrender their Identity Cards, in order to be verified and absorbed into the Hunters Service.

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    Responding to questions from newsmen, the Commander General of the NHFSS, Dr. Osatimehin assured officers and men of the defunct CJTF of fairness and equity and dismissed the idea of conflict as a result of the absorption.

    He said they would be absorbed into the Hunters Service through a thorough verification process and ranked according to their qualifications and experience.

    According to Osatimehin stated that a matching order would be issued immediately to all state commands of NHFSS to absorb the former CJTF members and subject them to various trainings in order to prepare them for service to Nigeria, in terms of fighting crimes within the forests in the country.

    “We have our protocol. We have been trained by the Police, the Army and other security organisations on different areas of security, including operational discipline, conduct and leadership hierarchy.

    “We have been trained and we are a disciplined organization. As soon as you join the NHFSS, we give you our operational guideline which would guide you in terms of conduct and discipline. As personnel of the NHFSS, you must obey the laws of Nigeria. You must obey the rule of law and operational guideline, especially as it concerns curbing crimes committed within the forests.”    

     Osatimehin commended the Police, the Army, DSS and other security agencies for accepting the Hunters Service and thanked traditional rulers across for adding their royal voices to the call for President Bola Tinubu to sign the NHFSS Bill into law.

  • NHFSS operatives invade kidnappers’ hideouts in Kogi, Kebbi, FCT, rescue victims, arrest suspects

    NHFSS operatives invade kidnappers’ hideouts in Kogi, Kebbi, FCT, rescue victims, arrest suspects

    Officers and men of the Nigerian Hunters and Forest Security Service (NHFSS) over the weekend rescued victims, apprehended suspects and handed them over to the Police in three States. 

    In Kabba Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State, the NHFSS operatives arrested two notorious kidnappers terrorising the area.

    The two suspects were identified as Sani and Ali.

    Addressing journalists at the weekend, the Caretaker Chairman of Kabba Bunu LGA, Barr Zacchaeus Dare, said the two suspects were arrested on Friday by NHFSS officers in the local government popularly called Yanbanga.

    He vowed that bandits, kidnappers and other criminals would be flushed out of the local government no matter their hideout and noted that, as many criminals that are living and entering the local government, none will escape the long arms of the law.

    “It will no longer be business as usual. We will make life unbearable for all criminal elements terrorising our local government. Let me reiterate here that, no matter their hiding place, we will smoke them out. Our campaign for zero tolerance for criminality is on course in Kabba Bunu Local Government. If they come in hundreds, they will leave in zero,” he stated.

    He called on members of the general public to always provide information that will lead to the arrest of other criminals causing havoc in the society.

    In Kebbi State, NHFSS operatives rescued a woman and her two children from the forest after the husband was killed by bandits.

    The woman and her children were taken into the forest after the husband was killed because she refused to marry a member of the bandits.

    The State Commander of the Nigeria Hunters and Forest Security, Ambassador Musa Hussein Rambo, while addressing journalists at Government House Birnin Kebbi, said the woman and her children were discovered in the forest between Fakai and Koko area of the state.

    “She narrated to us how her husband was killed because she refused to marry a member of the gang. Luckily, we were able to apprehend the gang member who wanted to marry her forcefully in the forest,” he said.

    He added that they also discovered the decomposing body of another woman and several graves where some kidnapped victims were buried in the forest, adding that NHFSS members have been working with other security agents to tackle banditry and other criminalities in the state.

    He called on the President and leadership of the National Assembly to ensure that their enabling bill, which he said had gone through the legislative proceedings, is signed into law.

    The Kebbi Police command is yet to respond to the development.

    Read Also: NHFSS boss hails Mutfwang over Supreme Court victory, urges Gov to work with hunters to fight bandits, others

    Also on Sunday, operatives of the NHFSS, invaded an uncompleted building being used as hideout by kidnappers at Sauka community along Airport road, Abuja.

    The NHFSS operatives rescued the kidnap victim identified as Suleiman Sabo.

    During the operation, a suspect, Muhammad Abel, a 32-year-old man from Kogi state was apprehended by the operatives.

    The rescued victim and the arrested suspect were later handed over to the Police by officers of the NHFSS.

  • Plateau killings: IAWPA African Director urges Tinubu to sign NHFSS Bill into law

    Plateau killings: IAWPA African Director urges Tinubu to sign NHFSS Bill into law

    The African Director, International Association of World Peace Advocates (IAWPA), Dr. John Metchie, has urged President Bola Tinubu to give assent to the Nigeria Hunters and Forest Security Service (NHFSS) Bill, to empower and embolden Officers and Men of the Service fight crimes and criminalities carried within forests across the country.

    The NHFSS Bill has been passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives, waiting for the President’s assent.

    Metchie, who is also the Deputy Commander General of NHFSS in charge of Technical Services, made the appeal to President Tinubu in a statement on Sunday while reacting to the Christmas Eve attacks on some communities in Plateau state as well as similar assaults in other parts of the North Central.

    While commending the President, Army, the Police and other security agencies for their response and control of the situation in Plateau and other affected areas, Metchie said a permanent solution is needed to ensure that criminals like bandits, terrorists, kidnappers, cattle rustlers and ritualists, among others, are denied access to forests and farms where they hide before and after carrying out their nefarious activities.

     Metchie, who also serves as the Prime Minister, Anambra State Association of Town Union (ASATU), said although signing the NHFSS Bill into law would attract additional financial burden to government, the cost cannot be compared to the unquantifiable loss of human lives, burning of communities and destruction of their ways and means of livelihood caused by the attacks, year in, year out.

    He pointed out the effect of insecurity is the primary cause of investor flight with serious consequence on the nation’s economy.

    According to Metchie, the solution to banditry and other crimes and criminalities committed within forests is permanent deployment of well-trained professional hunters and forest security operatives across the country, to work with the Police, Army, DSS and other security agencies, especially in the area of intelligence gathering and sharing as well as apprehension of criminals.

    According to him: “My first reaction to the Christmas Eve killing is some communities in Plateau State is to condemn the act, not only as a Nigerian and for our collective humanity, but as someone who was directly affected.

    “This is because Plateau is my second home. My family has a long history with Plateau and especially Jos where I grew up. As I speak with you, I have a home in Jos and my wife is from the state. So, you can imagine how directedly affected that I am.

    “As the African Director, IAWPA, I have been working round the clock, alongside of regional and national leaders of the global body, preaching peace and violence- free world across Africa and Nigeria in particular. Therefore, an act of violence in any form is an affront to our vision of a crime free world.

    Read Also: Incessant killings: Anyaoku laments non-prosecution of perpetrators

    “Having said that, I wish to once again, urge our President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu, GCFR, to give assent to the NHFSS Bill so that it can become law.

    “Already, with the support and endorsement of some state governors, NHFSS operatives are working with the Police, Army, DSS and other security agencies in the war against crimes and criminalities, especially in terms of intelligence gathering and distribution. NHFSS officials have been playing pivotal roles in the apprehension of criminals and prevention of crimes.

    “What is needed now, and urgently too, is for the President to assent to the Bill, so that NHFSS operatives would have the boldness to discharge their duties without fear or favour as this would go a long way in curbing incidences of terrorism, kidnapping for ransom, banditry, ritual killing and other similar crimes in the country.”

  • Insecurity: Interior Minister makes case for NHFSS Bill

    Insecurity: Interior Minister makes case for NHFSS Bill

    Minister for Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has pledged to join other well-meaning Nigerians including policy makers in the call for the Nigeria Hunters and Forest Security Service (NHFSS)
    Bill to be signed into law.

    He said once it is achieved, the service would be quickly be integrated into the federal security apparatus.

    He said this when he hosted the management of NHFSS in Abuja.

    The NHFSS team was led by the Commander General of the Service, Dr Joshua Osatimehin and comprised of Deputy Commanders General, Assistant Commanders General and other ranks.

    While receiving the NHFSS top officials, the Minister commended the selfless efforts of the service towards curbing crimes and criminalities, especially acts perpetrated within the forests.

    He said that Nigerians and the federal government are aware of the exploits of officers and men of the NHFSS who he said are complimenting the efforts of the Police, the Military and other relevant stakeholders.

    Tunji-Ojo commended NHFSS, mainly because they are not yet on government’s payroll, yet, using their resources to compliment the work of security and other agencies to safeguard the nation and its resources.

    He pledged to join other well-meaning Nigerians including policy makers and traditional rulers in the call for the NHFSS Bill to be signed into law, saying that once that is achieved, the Service would be quickly be integrated into the Federal Security apparatus.

    Earlier, the Commander General of the NHFSS, Osatimehin, told the Minister that they were in his office to commend him on the positive turnaround of the activities of the Ministry since he assumed office as Minister.

    Osatimehin particularly mentioned the revolution going on in the application and processing of passports for Nigerians which is now completed in a matter of days rather than months that was the case in the past, as well as the release of over 200,000 backlog of passports that were inherited by the Minister.

    The NHFSS Commander General also used the opportunity of the visit to intimate the Minister of the activities of the Service, especially in the area of sharing intelligence with security organisations towards the fight against terrorism, kidnapping, cattle rustling and other criminal activities in the country.

    He told the Minister that the NHFSS Bill has been passed by the two chambers of the National Assembly, waiting for the President’s assent and solicited the Minister’s intervention.

    He stated that the signing of the Bill into law would embolden officers and men of the Service to discharge their duties with vigour in order to help actualise President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in the area of security of lives and property of Nigerians and other nationals living in the country.

    Reacting to the visit, the Deputy Commander General of NHFSS in charge of Technical Services, Amb. John Metchie, commended Dr. Osatimehin for his selfless efforts in seeing that the Service becomes a federal government agency.

    Metchie,who is also the African Director, International Association of World Peace Advocates, IAWPA, stated this while reacting to questions from newsmen on the outcome of the visit of the Commander General to the Interior Minister.

    He said Osatimehin, whom he described as a great leader, has committed so much of his personal resources and time for the wellbeing of officers and men of the Service and has continued to champion the mantra of best quality service to fatherland.

    Metchie assured that the entire management, officers and men of the NHFSS are proud of the Commander General and are solidly behind him, in his quest to ensure that the Service becomes a federal government agency.