Nigeria’s Forest Guards Synergizes With Others to Rid the Ecosystem of Crime, Criminal Elements
About 12.2% of Nigeria’s geographical landmass, estimated at 11,089,000 hectares is forested. Of this 2.9% or about 326,000 hectares is classified as primary forest, which is the most biodiverse form of forest.
It is therefore estimated to support economic growth through agriculture, tourism, mining and solid minerals, as well as other environmental activities that can boost Gross Domestic Products.
This information was released penultimate Friday when the commander-general of the Nigerian Forest Security Service Dr. Wole Joshua Osatimehin visited the Minister of Environment and Ecology Balarabe Abbas Lawal in his office in Abuja.
The visit was to update the minister of the transformation of agency in tracking and eliminating criminal activities in Nigerian forests that would ensure huge economic gains that could accrue to the nation through dedicated and efficient security in the forested areas of Nigeria.
Osatimehin emphasized that with the presence of dedicated security service in the forest, environmentally harmful activities like illegal logging of trees, poaching of animals, bush burning and other negative activities that have destabilized the natural equilibrium of the environment would also be curtailed and assured that Nigeria will be better placed among the comity of nations that have set up relevant structures for environmental sustainability to reduce global warming in line with global climate change protocols.
Speaking while welcoming the Commander General and his team, Alhaji Balarabe Abbas Lawal, expressed readiness to support the vision of the management of Nigerian Forest Security Service, saying he had always opposed anything that has to do with killing of animals and other creatures living in their natural habitats through gaming, poaching and other activities that have caused the depletion of various natural species of the forest.
He agreed with the NFSS management team that Nigeria needs additional security body that is specifically dedicated to fighting crimes and criminalities in the forested areas, as according to him, securing the forest would help to protect the country’s ecosystem as well as conserve the environment.