By BANNERNEWS Reporter, Calabar Stakeholders in Cross River State have renewed calls for the recruitment of more forest guards and rangers to strengthen security across the state’s vast forest reserves and combat growing threats posed by criminal activities and illegal exploitation of natural resources.
The call comes on the heels of President Bola Tinubu’s approval of 1,000 forest guards for Oyo State following the abduction of pupils and teachers in parts of the state.
Stakeholders contend that states with extensive forest cover, particularly Cross River, should benefit substantially from the Federal Government’s broader forest security initiative.
Chairman of the Cross River State Forestry Commission, George Oben-Etche, disclosed that the state government is already taking steps to align with the federal programme.
He noted that approximately 300 forest rangers were recruited when the current administration assumed office and that plans are underway to further expand the workforce.
According to Oben-Etche, the presidential directive on forest guard recruitment is a nationwide intervention aimed at strengthening security within Nigeria’s forest reserves and should not be misconstrued as a measure designed solely for Oyo State.
Cross River is home to some of Nigeria’s largest and most important tropical rainforests, including areas that serve as habitats for endangered wildlife and vital ecological resources.
However, concerns have persisted over illegal logging, unauthorised mining, poaching and the use of remote forest corridors by criminal elements.
Commander of the Nigeria Hunters and Forest Security Services in Cross River State, Joseph Omini Ogburuwa, described the Federal Government’s latest move as timely and necessary.
He urged authorities to integrate community-based forest security organisations into the national framework to enhance intelligence gathering and rapid response operations.
Ogburuwa said the organisation has about 2,000 members in Cross River State and thousands more across the country, insisting that their local knowledge and familiarity with difficult terrains place them in a strategic position to support conventional security agencies.
A forest ranger, Efiok Emmanuel, lamented what he described as inadequate manpower for effective forest surveillance in the state. He disclosed that only about 400 rangers are currently available to cover Cross River’s extensive forest areas.
He recalled that Governor Bassey Otu had in 2024 directed the recruitment of 2,000 additional forest rangers, a proposal that was not implemented.
Emmanuel also revealed that plans for local government-based recruitment were suspended, stressing that increased manpower would significantly improve forest protection, environmental conservation and security operations across the state.
