STAKEHOLDERS URGE SOUTH-SOUTH GOVERNORS TO ESTABLISH JOINT SECURITY NETWORK OVER RISING FOREST CRIME

Concerns have been raised over the safety of forest areas in Bayelsa State following a report by Mr. Nwachukwu Ada, the Deputy Commander General of the Nigeria Forest Security Services and South-South Zonal Coordinator, who recently warned that criminal elements are now heavily present across forest areas in Rivers State.

Mr. Ada last week revealed on a radio programme in Port Harcourt that during a recent visit to Oyigbo, he encountered suspected bandits who appeared heavily armed and capable of confronting security agencies.

Reacting to this report, Comrade David West, Chairman of the Civil Liberty Organisation, Bayelsa Chapter, warned that Bayelsa State must not take the security alert lightly, especially given its shared border with Rivers State.

Comrade West, who gave the advice while featuring as a guest on Let’s Talk Nigeria, Golden FM’s morning programme, urged South-South governors to emulate their South-West counterparts by establishing a joint regional security network and community-based security approach.

Some callers of the programme, who identified themselves as James from Kpansia and Last Bullet from Oruma community, echoed the call, urging governors in the region to come up with decisive strategies to flush out bandits and other criminals from forest areas across Bayelsa and the entire South-South.

While no official security alert has been issued yet by relevant agencies in Bayelsa and neighboring states, the growing concerns are a strong signal for governments to act proactively, to safeguard the forests and prevent banditry and other violent attacks from taking root in the Niger Delta.

Reported By Bright Okpo