KEY POINTS
- Bauchi commissioned 2,176 forest guards to protect reserves used as criminal hideouts.
- Gombe will receive 1,056 new officers, 96 for each of its 11 local governments.
- The DIG says Nigeria’s police strength falls far below the UN’s one-to-400 standard.
The Bauchi State Government has commissioned 2,176 forest guards under the state Vigilante and Forestry Security Service to strengthen security and protect forest reserves. The guards passed out on Saturday at the Bauchi Police Training School, even as Gombe State prepares to receive 1,056 newly recruited police officers from the Nigeria Police Force’s planned recruitment of 50,000 personnel.
Bauchi secures its forests
Speaking at the Bauchi event, Governor Bala Mohammed, represented by his deputy, Auwal Jatau, said the deployment aims to restore security in forest areas that had become hideouts for criminals. Moreover, he said the recruitment underscored the administration’s commitment to environmental conservation and community safety.
According to the governor, the personnel had gained the discipline and skills they need after training coordinated through the Office of the National Security Adviser. “You are not only protectors of our forests and wildlife, but also custodians of our environment,” he said. Furthermore, he warned the guards against misconduct, stressing that any action that undermines public trust would attract consequences. “I hereby formally commission the 2,176 forest guards and declare them duly authorised to commence their responsibilities,” he added.
In his remarks, the Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, represented by Deputy Commissioner Musa Bulus, commended the governor for improving security through the forest guards.
Gombe awaits fresh officers
Announcing the allocation to Gombe, the Deputy Inspector-General of Police for the Force Intelligence Department, Zachariah Fera-Achinyan, said each of the state’s 11 local government areas would receive 96 officers from the ongoing exercise. “With this number, I believe they are going to cover a lot,” he said.
However, the DIG noted that Nigeria’s police strength remains grossly inadequate against international benchmarks. “The United Nations standard is one policeman to 400 people. It is not a Nigerian standard; it is the United Nations standard,” he said. Comparing Nigeria with other African countries, he pointed to Egypt’s larger workforce despite its smaller population.
Consequently, Fera-Achinyan also decried extortion and other unethical practices among officers, describing them as symptoms of indiscipline. “A disciplined policeman is a professional policeman. A professional policeman is a complete policeman,” he said. Ultimately, both states framed the new personnel as a response to mounting insecurity, pairing local forest protection in Bauchi with fresh federal manpower in Gombe to widen coverage across vulnerable communities.
