Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to approve the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards for Borno State and deploy a high-level Federal Government delegation to the state in response to worsening insecurity.
Falana made the appeal in a statement issued on Monday, June 1, linking his call to the Federal Government’s recent security intervention in Oyo State following the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area.
Call for Expanded Security Measures
According to Falana, the Federal Government had already demonstrated urgency in responding to the Oyo incident by sending a high-powered delegation and approving the recruitment of forest guards to strengthen local security support.
He noted that President Tinubu had also directed the creation of a specialised security unit to aid rescue operations for abducted victims in the South-West.
Falana argued that similar intervention should be extended to Borno State, where he said insecurity has remained persistent.
Concern Over Abductions in Borno
The human rights lawyer said not less than 415 abducted schoolchildren and other citizens were currently in captivity in forests within Borno State, calling for urgent federal attention.
“In view of the fact that not less than 415 abducted schoolchildren and other citizens are in the illegal custody of bandits and terrorists in unknown forests in Borno State, President Tinubu should also dispatch a high-powered federal delegation to visit the state in solidarity with the people,” he said.
He also urged the Federal Government to approve the recruitment of forest guards in the state to strengthen local security operations.
Push for Armed and Trained Forest Guards
Falana stressed that any forest guard initiative must be backed with proper training and equipment, noting that criminal groups are often heavily armed.
“The forest guards must be well trained and fully equipped to confront the bandits and terrorists who are armed with AK-47 rifles and other dangerous weapons,” he stated.
Call for Legal Action Review
The Senior Advocate also suggested that the Federal Government reconsider ongoing legal action against members of the Nigeria Forest Security Service, following what he described as a policy shift towards forest-based security operations.
He added that the Attorney-General of the Federation should discontinue the criminal case against the affected individuals in light of the new security approach.
The call comes amid renewed national debate on how to strengthen internal security architecture and address rising cases of kidnapping across multiple regions in Nigeria.