The Nigerian Senate is to take up the issue of the Nigeria Forest Security Service (NFSS) Bill to ensure its passage into law without further delay.

Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin stated this weekend when the Commander General of the NFSS, Dr. Wole Joshua Osatimehin, led a team of top officers of the Service on a courtesy visit to his residence in Abuja.

Senator Jibrin said Nigeria urgently needs the services of NFSS in its efforts to rid the country of banditry, terrorism, kidnapping and related crimes that are carried out within the forests.

He commended Dr. Osatimehin and his management team for the successes being recorded by operatives of NFSS, saying that signing of their Bill into law would enable them to go out fully in their complimentary duties to the miliary, the police, office of the National Security Adviser, he Department of State Security Service and others, towards tackling insecurity in the country.

“We want to appreciate you and your officers and men for what you are doing so far. The contributions you are making in the fight against banditry, kidnapping and related crimes, have helped the country a lot. It is therefore easy to understand that signing of the Nigeria Forest Security Service Bill into law would enable you to do more. When you go to other climes, they are identified with different names according to the thinking of the people. In some places, they are called agro-rangers, Forest Guards, Forest Security Service or whatever name.

“The most important thing is that when we have a fully funded and well-equipped Service dedicated to manning the forests, there won’t be room for criminals to operate within the forested regions. Therefore, what you are doing and your aspiration is in our own interest as a nation.

“We are giving you full assurance that we will support you, we will stand shoulder to shoulder with you to ensure that the Bill is concluded within the shortest time possible. I will stand and make sure that before we go on recess, the Bill would be given needed attention because it is in our national interest to do so,” the Depuy Senate President stated.

Earlier in his remark, Dr. Wole Joshua Osatimehin said he visited the Deputy Senate President with his team, to consult and brief him on the need to see that the NFSS Bill is brought to a logical conclusion and signed into law.

He updated the Senator Jibrin on the complimentary roleS being played by operatives of the NFSS especially on intelligence gathering and sharing with security agencies as well as arrest and handover of criminals, which he said have contributed immensely to the successes recorded in the fight against insecurity in the country.

He told Senator Barau Jibril that already, NFSS has established functional command and control offices in all the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, without thousands of operatives recruited and deployed, adding that the signing of the Bill into law would help to boost the morale of officers and men who have already proved their capacity to carry out their responsibilities, especially in view of the trainings they have undergone with several security agencies.

In his reaction, the Deputy Commander General, Intelligence, of the NFSS, Ambassador John Metchie thanked the Deputy Senate President for his pledge to see to the logical conclusion of the NFSS Bill.

He described Senator Barau as a quintessential deputy who has worked closely with the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio to ensure that President Bola Tinubu delivers on his Renewed Hope Agenda to the people of Nigeria.

Metchie who is also the African Director, International Association of World Peace Advocates, IAWPA, commended the National Assembly in general, saying that the NFSS Bill has enjoyed the support of both Senators and House of Representatives members, adding that with the commitment of Senator Barau Jibril, the process would soon be concluded.

Metchie also commended the Commander General of NFSS, Dr. Wole Joshua Osatimehin for his great leadership stride, which he said was responsible for the various achievements recorded by the Service and called on the National Security Adviser and other critical stakeholders to work together in getting the NFSS bill signed by President Bola Tinubu, saying it would add great value to the collective efforts to secure Nigeria, especially the forested and ungoverned areas.