The Kogi government will reclaim the state’s forests from criminal elements, Governor Ahmed Ododo has said.

Mr Ododo made the declaration during a visit to the training camp for newly recruited forest guard trainees in Lokoja on Sunday.

”There will be no safe haven for terrorists, bandits and other violent criminals operating within the state. We are determined to rid Kogi of criminal elements, and we will deploy all lawful resources necessary to guarantee the safety of residents and visitors,” he said.

The governor urged the guards to discharge their responsibilities with discipline, patriotism and a strong commitment to service.

”The vast and largely unguarded forest areas in some parts of the state have become a major security challenge, providing hideouts for criminal groups and enabling attacks on innocent citizens.

”The recruitment and training of forest guards form a key component of the state’s security strategy, which is aimed at strengthening surveillance, denying criminals access to safe havens and improving the capacity of security agencies to respond effectively to threats,” he said.

Mr Ododo said that the initiative was part of the Forest Guard Programme, approved by President Bola Tinubu, and being implemented through the Office of the National Security Adviser, in collaboration with the State Security Service and other security institutions.

Mr Ododo lauded the director-general of the SSS, Adeola Ajayi, for supporting security operations in Kogi. According to him, the SSS is overseeing the profiling and training of the forest guard recruits to ensure professionalism, competence and accountability.

The Kogi governor stressed that while his administration was committed to expanding security manpower, it remained focused on ensuring that only individuals of proven character, integrity and loyalty were entrusted with the responsibility of protecting lives and property.

The visit to the training camp came a day after the governor inspected the first batch of armoured personnel carriers procured by the Kogi government to enhance the operational capacity and combat readiness of security agencies.

The president, on May 15, approved the nationwide Presidential Forest Guards Initiative to secure the country’s 1,129 designated forests and flush out terrorists, bandits, and criminal gangs.

The programme is a joint security effort between the federal and state governments.

(NAN)