With a view to taking proactive and decisive steps to beef up security surveillance around Oyo State forest reserves, lawmakers have charged Governor Seyi Makinde to as a matter of urgency, engage and employ more forest guards, in order to prevent influx of Bokoharam syndicates and other criminal elements in Oyo State.
Hon. Anthony Ogunsola representing Iwajowa State Constituency and Hon. S.A Onaolapo of Ogbomoso State Constituency in a joint sponsorship of a motion, at a plenary session held at Oyo State House of Assembly on Thursday, 14th March 2024, tasked executive arm of government to ensure engagement and employment of more forest guards to prevent influx of Boko haram syndicates and other criminal elements in the state.
Their motion was presented before the Speaker, Rt Hon. Adebo Edward Ogundoyin with the headline ” Urgent Need For Executive Arm of Government to Take Proactive and Decisive Steps to Beef Up Security Surveillance at Oyo State Forest Reserves Through Engagement and Employment of More Forest Guards to Prevent Influx of Boko Haram Syndicates and Other Criminal Elements in Oyo State”.
The comprehensive details of the motion presented before the speaker and in the presence of the honourable colleagues goes as follows:
URGENT NEED FOR EXECUTIVE ARM OF GOVERNMENT TO TAKE PROACTIVE AND DECISIVE STEPS TO BEEF UP SECURITY SURVEILLANCE AT OYO STATE FOREST RESERVES THROUGH ENGAGEMENT AND EMPLOYMENT OF MORE FOREST GUARDS TO PREVENT INFLUX OF BOKO HARAM SYNDICATES AND OTHER CRIMINAL ELEMENTS IN OYO STATE.
Hons. A.O. Ogunsola (Iwajowa) and S.A. Onaolapo (Ogbomoso South), Leader of the House
The House
Notes with serious concern the state of porosity of Oyo State forest reserves occasioned by influx of Boko haram syndicate and other criminal elements which for the past few years threatened the security architecture of Oyo State. There were several security reports in the public domain about reported cases of apprehension of kidnappers, bandits and some book haram elements by security agencies in collaboration with local hunters in some of our forest reserves corridors in the State. In recent times, Hon. R. G. Saminu (Atisbo and Saki-East) reported in this hallowed chamber, the incident of attack of local hunters and some vigilante groups by some bandits within Opara forest reserves located in his constituency. Similarly, on Tuesday, 27th February 2024, Hon. G.J. Oyekola (Atiba) sponsored a motion under matter of urgent public importance drawing the attention of the House and the Executive Arm of Government to the recent attack of some villagers in his constituency by some book haram syndicates around forest reserve corridors.
Further notes that forest reserve is an area of forest set aside and preserved by the Government as a wilderness, national park and the like. In Oyo State alone, there are nine (9) gazetted forest reserves covering about 343, 461 hectares of Land. Four of these forest reserves are Opara, Igangan, Olaseinde, Okoo-Iro, which situated at the western part of the State while five others such as Olokemeji, Lanlate, Ijaiye, Osho and Gambari were situated at the southern part of the State. Aside these forest reserve, Oyo State also has about eight (8) Agric plantations spread across Eleyele, Baasi, Iresadu, Eruwa, Oyo and Okeho plantations.
Historically, during the Regional Government (Western State of Nigeria) and post regional Government all these forest reserves were properly managed and well protected by the uniformed field staff i.e forest Guards, Foresters and Forest Rangers otherwise known as forest police. They ensured good surveillance of the gazetted areas.
Aware that during this period each of these forest reserves was divided into beats and each beat was manned by a forest Guard. According to my findings, five or more forest Guards were supervised by a forester while five or more foresters were supervised by a forest Ranger. The overall supervisor of all of them was a chief forest Ranger. From this one can posit good nexus of functionality and efficiency in manning our state assets (forest reserves). One of the key functions of these forest Guards is to report all criminal activities promptly to the higher authorities for accelerated action. More importantly the forest Guards lived in the village or labor camp nearest to his beat. Interestingly, residing amongst the local people made him popular and also facilitated his work through information sharing.
Further aware that there are some other neighboring forest reserves located within the boarder communities in Oyo State such as Ogun State forest reserve that shares boundary with Iwere Ile (Iwajowa Local Government and Otu/ Igbojaiye (Itesiwaju local Government) , Kwara state forest reserves that share boundary with Igbeti (Olorunsogo Local Government and Ikoyi-Ile (Orire Local Government) amongst others. All these boundary forest reserves constitute security threat to Oyo State and are needed to be properly manned by our Forest Guards.
Concern that the use of forest Guards to man our forest reserves both at State and National level has gradually gone into extinction. The Statistical survey conducted on the present number of forest Guards in the service of Oyo State Government revealed that only Eighty-Five (85) Forest Guards are in active service manning the nine (9) Forest Reserves and the Agric Plantations.
This is grossly inadequate considering the security challenges within and around the forest reserve areas.
Considering the state of insecurity within our forest reserves in the State through the influx of Bandits, kidnappers, intruders, Boko Harams, illegal loggers and other criminal elements, it is expedient to recruit more forest Guards and its allied staff in the State (foresters and forest Rangers)
Resolves to:
eulogise His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde for his proactive steps towards solving all security challenges in the State and providing necessary supports to farmers in addressing food scarcity which in the long run reducing security threaten to the state. This is because a hungry man is an angry man.
appeal to His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde a listened Governor to take the bull by the horn in addressing security challenges within and around the States Forest Reserves occasioned by influx of Bandits, kidnappers, Intruders, Boko Harams and other criminal elements that threatened peace and security of the State.
Hence, the Governor should consider the necessity of energizing and supporting the few forest Guards and recruit more forest Guards, foresters and forest Rangers otherwise called forest police to effectively man all the nine (9) forest Reserves in the State as our State’s assets.
The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources should immediately kick start the process leading to the recruitment of more forest Guards, foresters and forest Rangers in view of their importance to report all criminal activities within Forest Reserves for accelerated action to protect our communities from Banditry and Boko Haram incursion.
Mr. Speaker sir, I beg to move.
