The North East Development Commission (NEDC) has trained 1,000 forest guards to support the security agencies in ongoing fights against insurgency in Yobe State.
According to NEDC, the forest guards will protect the farmers against terrorist activities in forests, particularly in Sambisa and Sasawa forests in the State.
Declaring the training session open, in Damaturu, Mohammed Alkali, the Managing Director of the Commission, represented by the State’s Coordinator in Yobe State, Ali Ibrahim Abbas, stated that the Commission distributes food items and waterproof mats.
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He said, “The Commission’s training of forest guards was to enhance security in the state,” as well as prevent terrorist activities in any of the farms and forests.”
The distributed food items, which comprise 100 cartons of assorted pastas, 80 gallons of cooking oil, and 1,000 waterproof mats, are to cater for the well-being of the trainees.
Besides the distribution of food items, Abbas noted that the forest guards training scheme had targeted five local Government areas in the two forests, with plans to cover the other 12 local councils.
He said that this is just the beginning of training the forest guards, as the Commission intends to train more of them in safeguarding the various farms and forests against Boko Haram insurgents and other criminal activities.
Governor Mai Mala Buni’s Special Adviser on Security Matters, retired Brigadier General Abdulsalam Dahiru, commended the Commission for the bold and pioneering security initiative to protect life and property.
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He stated that the Federal Government in collaboration with the State Government, had employed the forest guards to secure the two forests located in Sambisa and Sasawa of Yobe State.
“This will deny the criminal elements safe havens to attack our farmers and pastoralists,” said Dahiru, acknowledging that NEDC has become the first Federal Government agency to support the State in its fight against terrorism.
BusinessDay reports that other Commission’s interventions are also centred on education, infrastructure and humanitarian gestures.
