Taraba State government has said despite challenges of funding, equipment and deployment, personnel of the Forest Guard remains active and ready to flush out criminals using some forest reserves as safe havens for their criminal operations.
The special adviser to the Governor on Security and Intelligence, Col. J. G. Kwelle (rtd), in an interview with newsmen, maintained that the personnel were still waiting for the federal government’s logistics support to commence operations across the states of the federation.
According to him, the Forest Guard was established as a federal security initiative primarily to secure forests and prevent criminal elements from establishing strongholds in remote areas.
He, however, dismissed claims that the Forest Guard outfit is ineffective.
Kwelle clarified that the Forest Guard was not created to provide security on farmlands, contrary to suggestions in some media reports.
He explained that, the outfit’s mandate is to safeguard forest reserves and monitor activities within forested areas to prevent their use as hideouts by bandits, terrorists and other criminal groups.
“The Forest Guard is a federal outfit, not a state outfit. Their primary responsibility is to protect forest reserves and ensure that criminals do not take over these areas and use them as safe havens,” he said.
According to him, securing forests has become a critical component of the country’s security architecture, given that many criminal groups operate from forest locations.
Col. Kwelle added that, the Federal Government’s decision to recruit Forest Guards was aimed at preventing the emergence of criminal strongholds and enhancing proactive security measures across the country.
The security adviser acknowledged that Forest Guard personnel in Taraba had yet to receive regular salaries since their recruitment and training, and attributed the delay to federal budgetary processes.
He explained that, the programme was introduced midway through the fiscal year, making it difficult to immediately provide funding through existing federal budget provisions.
He said the state government was processing the necessary documentation to place the personnel on a stipend arrangement to sustain their operations and boost morale.
“Despite the delay the Taraba State Government had commenced arrangements to provide financial support to the personnel pending full federal implementation of the programme.
“Rather than leave them without support, the state government has taken steps to provide them with stipends while awaiting federal funding,” he stated.
Col. Kwelle further revealed that, although the personnel had undergone professional training, including weapons handling, they had not yet received official firearms and uniforms from the federal authorities.
He noted that, the recruits were trained at a Mobile Police training facility in Osun State and were certified to handle automatic weapons.
He stressed that, the authority to issue such weapons rests solely with federal agencies, particularly the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
“We cannot deploy unarmed personnel into forests where they may encounter armed criminals. That would be unsafe and counterproductive,” he said.
The adviser added that, while awaiting the necessary equipment, Forest Guards have been engaged in joint security patrols and other support duties alongside the military, police and other security agencies.
Col. Kwelle maintained that, the Guards personnel are present in various local government areas of the state, including Karim Lamido, Sardauna and Gashaka, where they operate from designated offices and participate in security activities.
He attributed public misconceptions about their visibility to the fact that the personnel have not yet been issued official uniforms.
According to him, many currently wear training attire bearing Forest Guard insignia, making them less recognizable to members of the public.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting lives and property, stressing that collaboration between security agencies and citizens remains essential to sustaining peace across Taraba State.
“Our goal is to ensure that Taraba people live and work in a safe environment. We will continue to strengthen security measures and work with all stakeholders to maintain peace across the state,” Kwelle said.
