The Bauchi State Government has officially approved the recruitment of 2,000 additional operatives into the Nigeria Forest Security Service (NFSS), as part of efforts to boost internal security across the state.
Commander-General of the NFSS, Joshua Osatimehin, made this known on Sunday during a press briefing in Abuja after an operational visit to Bauchi. He commended Governor Bala Mohammed for consistently supporting the agency in its mission to combat crime in forest regions.
“Today, Bauchi remains one of the most peaceful states in Northern Nigeria,” Osatimehin said. “This is evidence of his contribution and commitment to internal security and, by extension, to national security. He has really provided us with modern security infrastructure to meet the test of time in tackling crime and criminality.”
He revealed that nearly N150 million was earlier approved by the Bauchi State Government for the procurement of arms and ammunition to aid forest security operations. Osatimehin urged other northern governors to follow the Bauchi example to strengthen security in the North East, North Central, and North West regions.
“We urge state governments to engage with the NFSS command structures in their states and incorporate us into the broader security architecture,” he stated.
Deputy Commander-General (Intelligence), John Metchie, also praised the commitment of NFSS operatives in Bauchi. He encouraged the public to avoid profiling Fulani communities as violent.
“We must stop stereotyping Fulani people as inherently violent. Many of the challenges we face stem from the infiltration of foreign herders through our porous borders,” Metchie explained.
Assistant Commander-General (Operations), Umar Aliu, disclosed that Bauchi State currently pays monthly salaries to over 800 forest security operatives. He added that there is an active insurance scheme in place which offers N5 million compensation to families of operatives who lose their lives on duty.
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Aliu confirmed that aside from the recruitment approval, the government had provided operational vehicles, motorcycles, and allowances to further support security field operations.