The Chairman, Osun State chapter of the Nigeria Hunters and Forest Security Service, Ahmed Nureni, on Monday urged the state government to pay more attention to the issues of security in forests across the state.
Nureni, during an interview on Monday, said matters relating to security in forests would be given needed attention if the state government can appoint a Special Adviser to be in charge of security in the forest.
He also dismissed insinuations that some motorcycles recently donated to the group by the government had been sold.
According to him, some states in the north have officers in the state cabinet assigned to keeping forests safe.
He reiterated the need by the government in South West especially, to follow that trend to rid large forests in the region free of criminals.
He said, “Bauchi and Gombe states appointed officers in government to see to forest security. Others should also look into doing so, especially in South West here where criminals are making efforts to set up bases in our forest. Osun State government should consider appointing a Special Adviser that will work with hunters to keep our forest safe.”
On the support from the state government to the group, Nureni said the organisation “received 62 motorcycles from the government and we have since given each of the 30 local government areas in the state two motorcycles each. Our members have been using them for patrol. We don’t sell and we don’t plan to involve in that.
“We don’t belong to any political party and we have remained dedicated to our core mandate of collaboration with conventional security agencies to ensure the safety of lives and property and we won’t relent. Recently, we deployed more men to Osun-Kwara state boundary communities to prevent infiltration.”
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