The Nigeria Hunters and Forest Security Service on Tuesday inducted about 1,000 new recruits in Anambra State to bolster its capacity in tackling insecurity in the South-East.

The Deputy Commandant-General, Technical Services, NFHSS, John Metchie, said this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.

He said the new operatives had been sensitised by the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies on standard operating procedures.

Mr Metchie said that the intention was for them to collaborate and assist the government in fighting criminalities in society.

According to him, the people are all volunteers, and they want to help in fighting crimes in their different communities.

“We have got over 1,000 personnel that have been recruited in the last three months, and we are going to be working in the forest, which is our main primary area. We are supposed to be in the forest, but with the problem of insecurity in the cities, we are going to be in the city helping the police, the army, and the SSS.

“We will be gathering information and intelligence, and we will also work with them in terms of patrol to assist them because right now, with the situation on ground, the police do not have enough manpower.

“So, they can always call on us to assist and to help them because we know the terrain and most of them live in the villages, and they know the terrain very well.

“So definitely, we can help the police, the SSS, and the civil defence in fighting crimes and criminalities,’’ he said.

Mr Metchie appealed to President Bola Tinubu to consider signing the bill establishing NHFSS into law to give them the full status of a government-approved paramilitary or security agency.

He said that giving hunters such legal status would enable them to be more effective in providing security in the forests across the country. 

(NAN)