National Park Service To Partner Armed Forces As Bandits Occupy Forest Reserve

The National Park Service (NPS) has stated plans to partner with the armed forces to dislodge bandits said to be occupying 1,129 square meters of the country’s forest reserve.

The NPS Conservator General, Ibrahim Goni, disclosed this during a visit to the office of the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja.

Goni, who disclosed that the national parks in the country were serving as hideouts for terrorists and bandits, said the situation was affecting efforts to protect and conserve the biodiversity in these areas.

In a statement issued by the Director of Defence Information, Maj-Gen. Benjamin Sawyerr, Goni expressed the NPS’ readiness to partner with the armed forces to safeguard the nation’s forest reserves.

It read in part, “Dr Goni noted that there was a need to sustain the existing synergy, by working together to tackle the current security challenges facing the nation.

“The CG explained that the collaborative arrangement would be on combat training of NPS personnel and logistic support to boost the Agency’s mandate of securing the forest reserves.

“According to him, these forest reserves and national parks which are approximately 1,129 square metres have become hideouts for bandits and terrorists”.

On his part, Irabor said relevant stakeholders must support the organization to ensure that the forests are well protected against criminalities.

Represented by the Chief of Defence Policy and Plans, Air Vice Marshal Sanda, Irabor charged the NPS to dominate the nation’s forests in terms of intelligence gathering.

He explained that sharing information with the military and other security agencies was important to checkmate every form of terror and other crimes.

There have been reports of presumed and identified terrorist’s enclaves across the country. Many of which have been destroyed and others still intact.

While many have called for massive destruction of this identified hideout others have enacted laws protecting their forest reserve from intruders.