Security

Terrorists Attack Presidential Convoy 

By Web News 813

Suspected terrorists on Tuesday, near Dutsinma, Katsina State, ambushed the convoy of cars conveying the Presidency’s advance team of security guards, protocol and media officers, killing two policemen in the process.

The Presidency officials were travelling to Daura ahead of the trip of the President, Muhammadu Buhari, to his hometown for Sallah.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, confirmed the attack in a statement without confirming the casualty figure.

The statement titled “Gallant presidential guards repel attack on advance team ahead of President’s visit” read, “The Presidency has described as sad and unwelcome, the shooting incident near Dutsinma, Katsina State, at the convoy of cars carrying the Advance Team of security guards, protocol and media officers ahead of the President, Muhammadu Buhari’s trip to Daura for Sallah.

“The attackers opened fire on the convoy from ambush positions but were repelled by the military, police and DSS personnel accompanying the convoy.

“Two persons in the convoy are receiving treatment for the minor injuries they suffered. All the other personnel, staff and vehicles made it safely to Daura.”

But the spokesman of the Katsina State Police Command, Gambo Isah, in a separate statement, confirmed that the Police Area Commander for Dutsinma, Aminu Umar, and one other were killed in the ambush.

Isah did not include in his statement that the attack was on the presidential team.

The statement read, “Today (Tuesday), July 5, 2022 at about 11.30am, a distress call was received that terrorists numbering over 300, on motorcycles, shooting sporadically with AK 47 rifles and General Purpose Machine Guns, ambushed ACP Aminu Umar, Area Commander, Dutsinma and team, while on clearance operation of recalcitrant bandits/terrorists, in Zakka Forest, Safana Local Government Area of Katsina state.

“Consequently, the Area Commander and one other gallantly lost their lives during a cross exchange of gun fire.

“The Commissioner of Police, Idrisu Dauda, on behalf of the officers and men of the command, expresses his deep sympathy to the family of the deceased and pray to almighty Allah repose their souls in Jannatul Firdausi.”

Punch/Taiwo Akinola

News

Resuscitation Of Forest Guards

By Web News 1219

On the 20th of march, 2020, a bill to establish an agency for forest guards to man federal roads and highways scaled second reading in the house of representatives.

The piece of legislation, if passed into law, seeks to charge the agency with the responsibility among other things to detect and prevent crimes like banditry, kidnapping, terrorism and violence.

The potential paramilitary agency was configured to have the mandate under the law to apprehend offenders, preserve law and order and protect lives and property.

And this is going to be strictly within all forests lying 100 metres adjacent to all federal roads and highways in Nigeria.

Unfortunately, the forest guards bill suffered a major set back as the antagonists of the bill said the agency would tantamount to duplication of duties by other established security agencies in the country.

One thing is clear, however, the sponsor of the forest guards bill, Mr. Usman Shiddi of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, representing bill Wukari Federal Constituency in Taraba State has good intention

Mr. Shiddi knew what he was talking about as record shows that as at 2015, Nigeria had a forest coverage of 7.68 percent of its land area and it was left unprotected.

Without any gainsaying, there is the need to take decisive action to ensure the survival of forests as suitable habitat for people and animal.

 The first step is to plan ahead and in this context, the question is, what happened to the old forest guards,” Asogbo” as they were called in times past?.

 The “Asogbos” as they were prominent feature of forest management, especially in the defunct western region under the leadership of late chief Obafemi Awolowo who was the leader of government business between 1952 and 1959.

 Why did the old forest guards disappear? 

 Where are the “Asogbos”?

Their continuous absence has made forest vulnerable to all sorts of abuse.

Studies revealed that the old forests guards ran into troubled water due to a number of challenges.

These include, fire outbreak occasioned by bush burning by local hunters, secret and illegal logging of timber forest products, grazing and inadequate finance for mobilising forest guards.

The spirit of the old forest guards or the Asogbos must be brought back to preserve the forest and make it play its role as a supplier of resources for people and government.

All bandits, kidnappers, rapists and terrorists hibernating inside the reserves must be weeded out.

To do this effectively, there should be adequate welfare and manpower training for forest guards.

They must be armed with Ak-47 riffles to withstand the firepower of hardened and notorious criminals.

Funds due to forest guards management must be released as and when due.

Nigeria legal framework for forest management and the national policy on environment should be implemented without further delay.

Legislations on deforestation, logging banand encroachment must be implemented by all tiers of government and forest stakeholders.

Tayo Sanni