As Nigeria grapples with escalating insecurity, groups like the Nigerian Forest Security Service, Professional Hunters Association of Nigeria, Agbekoya Farmers’ Society, and the Oodua Peoples Congress are urging the Federal Government (FG) to officially empower them to combat bandits, Boko Haram insurgents, and other terrorist groups hiding in Nigeria’s forests.
With terror attacks surging across Plateau State, Benue State, and other regions, these grassroots security groups stress they possess the local knowledge, spiritual power, and combat training needed to flush out criminals. Recent attacks in Plateau State alone have left over 100 people dead and displaced thousands, sparking widespread calls for stronger forest security measures.
President Bola Tinubu has ordered a complete overhaul of Nigeria’s national security strategy, but stakeholders insist that empowering local hunters, forest guards, and community vigilantes is key to winning the war against banditry.
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Speaking with NAIJABLOGDAILY on Saturday, Joshua Osatimehin, Commandant General of the Nigerian Forest Security Service, warned that without federal backing and legislation, forest operatives remain unable to take decisive action against terrorists.
“Our operatives live and work in the forests. We can dislodge these criminals both physically and spiritually, but we need the government’s official support to act legally,” Osatimehin said. He emphasized that better logistics, security infrastructure, and border control are vital to securing Nigeria’s forests.
The Professional Hunters Association of Nigeria also called for intensified surveillance and patrols along known forest routes used by attackers, stating that their involvement could have prevented many recent killings.
Similarly, the Agbekoya Farmers’ Society confirmed they have been using traditional spiritual methods to safeguard Yoruba communities across the South-West. According to Secretary-General Adegbenro Ogunlana, sacrifices and spiritual protection have been deployed across Oyo, Kogi, Kwara, and other states to stem the tide of violence.
“Without the spiritual measures, the situation would have been worse. We’ve arrested insiders helping terrorists, and our spiritual operations continue to secure the region,” Ogunlana said.
The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, revealed that intelligence reports indicate that terrorists are infiltrating Yoruba communities, especially areas rich in solid minerals. He criticized politicians for failing to act and disclosed that consultations are ongoing among Yoruba elders for strategic defense.
In the North-Central zone, Alhaji Muhammad Ahmed, Commander of Patrol and Guards, stated that the pending bill before President Tinubu, aimed at legalizing the Nigerian Hunters and Forest Security Service, holds the key to ending the nation’s security challenges.
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“Our trained hunters, equipped with spiritual powers and knowledge of the forests, are ready to defeat terrorists once the bill is signed into law,” Ahmed stated.
The bill, already passed by the National Assembly, seeks to formally recognize forest hunters as a security agency authorized to conduct operations against bandits, kidnappers, and Boko Haram insurgents.
As insecurity worsens, stakeholders insist that leveraging the physical strength, spiritual warfare abilities, and deep knowledge of Nigeria’s forests held by local hunters and guards could be a game changer in securing the nation.
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