A group of hunters and farmers across the country have called for Federal Government’s support to join in the eradication of banditry and insurgency in Nigeria.
The group including the Professional Hunters Association of Nigeria, the Nigerian Forest Security Service, Agbekoya Farmers’ Society of Nigeria, and the Oodua Peoples Congress,said without the backing of Nigerian government, they cannot do much in terms of fight the growing insecurity in Nigeria.
Speaking on this, Joshua Osatimehin, the Commandant General of the Nigerian Forest Security Service said his team possess the spiritual ability, training and knowledge to address the issue.
“We understand the forests; some of our operatives live there, but we cannot just attack the marauders without the government’s backing so that we will not be charged with genocide and other forms of illegal operations.
“As soon as the government decides to give us the necessary backup, this will give us the confidence to deploy all our arsenals – physically, spiritually, and otherwise to dislodge these people (bandits and kidnappers) because those causing this insecurity are few compared to Nigeria’s population. We can defeat them with the necessary backup and support from the government,” Osatimehin said.
According to him, if given the needed logistics and support, hunters and farmers across the country will man the forest and help in the efforts to fight insecurity.
Further speaking, Osatimehin said the major forests across the country have been infiltrated by foreigners and thereby leading to the degree of banditry, killings and kidnappings witnessed in the country.
“But our operatives work in these forests; we farm and hunt in these forests. This will make it easier to form a first line of defence before the military or the police can come in,” he said.