By SUMAILA OGBAJE

The Deputy Commander-General, Nigeria Forest Security Service (NFSS), Dr John Metchie, has said the organisation has capacity to plug the gap in Nigeria?s security architecture.

Metchie stated this at the end of the training of Intelligence, Surveillance and Provost personnel of the NFSS on Saturday in Abuja.

He said that intelligence was the bedrock and the heart of security, adding that the forest guards possess credible and actionable intelligence that could help tackle insecurity in the forested regions.

?I keep saying that we are the missing link and I stand by that belief that forest guards are the missing link of the security architecture of Nigeria.

?I want to also take this opportunity to thank Mr President for his role in all this.

?This is because when Mr President came into power, he promised the Nigerian people that he was going to do something about security.

?Now the bill is on his table and Nigerians are watching and we are begging him to please do the needful and sign the bill immediately, so that we can assist the existing security agencies,? he said.

Metchie commended the Commander-General of NFSS, Dr Joshua Osatimehin, for providing the needed strategic leadership in ensuring that the service gets legal backing.

He also commended him for the training of Intelligence, surveillance and Provost officers to position them to deliver on the mandate of NFSS.

According to him, with the training they have received, they will go back home and will be more effective and ready to serve their motherland.

Dr Stephen Okwori, a Security, Safety and Crime Management Consultant, said that crime was normal and inevitable in any society, adding that the duty of the government and security agencies is to see that crime is reduced.

Okwori said that if the President gives assent to the NFSS Bill, it would enhance security and intelligence gathering in the local communities where most of the violent crimes are perpetrated.

He added that inadequate security presence in rural areas across the country, coupled with the vast nature of the forested areas had contributed to the heightened insecurity in the country.

?So when the bill establishing the NFSS is assented to, they (service) will now cover that gap and complement the effort or support the conventional security services that we have in the area of intelligence gathering.

?I will tell you that most of the failures of intelligence with our conventional security service is because there is no local intelligence security service to cover that gap in the area of generating local intelligence for the military and other securities agencies to work with,? he said. (NAN)

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