The Nigerian Forest Security Service (NFSS), Kwara Command, has called on both federal and state governments to grant it full legal recognition and provide logistics to strengthen its role in combating insecurity within forested areas across the state.
Speaking at the Kwara State Security Summit in Ilorin on Saturday, the NFSS Commander said the agency, created under Bill No. 2925 — the NFSS Establishment Bill 2025 — is mandated to secure ungoverned forest regions nationwide.
He explained that the summit aimed to enhance collaboration between the NFSS, the state government, and other security agencies in addressing insecurity. “At this moment, there is no comfort space or safety zone for anyone. That is why we are seeking the governor’s support in gathering and sharing intelligence promptly,” he said.
The Commander noted that despite the NFSS’s efforts in intelligence gathering and forest surveillance, it has not received support under the state’s security programmes. He appealed to Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to assist with working tools and logistics.
“We want to be part of the success story in tackling insecurity. Our operatives know every forest path and community route. Give us your support to help secure Kwara,” he said.
He revealed that the NFSS operates in all 16 local government areas of the state, with over 3,200 personnel working alongside other security agencies to monitor forest routes and prevent criminal movement.
The NFSS also reaffirmed its role in supporting the Federal Government’s Green Climate Campaign by protecting newly planted trees and regulating charcoal production.
The Assistant Commander General of the NFSS clarified that the service complements, rather than competes with, the police and other security agencies. “Police cannot do without us, and we cannot do without them. We call on President Bola Tinubu to make history by signing the NFSS Bill into law,” he said.
He urged traditional rulers to assist with office spaces and logistics to improve coordination at the grassroots.
Representing the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, ACP Onyeabor Oseloka commended the NFSS but advised it to pursue more training on security operations and intelligence gathering.
The summit, attended by traditional rulers and youth groups, reaffirmed NFSS’s commitment to working with security agencies to ensure peace, safety, and sustainable forest management across Kwara and beyond.
