By Sumaila Ogbaje
A security and intelligence expert, Dr John Metchie, says Nigeria is on track to ending insecurity challenges.
Addressing newsmen, Metchie praised President Bola Tinubu’s choice of Gen. Christopher Musa as the new Defence Minister.
He said the appointment marked a watershed in the protection of the territorial integrity of the nation.
According to him, with the collaborative efforts of the Defence Minister, National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and the forest guards, the nation’s ungoverned regions are likely to receive enhanced security coverage.
Metchie emphasised the importance of deploying forest guards, noting that countries such as South Africa, the United States, and Canada use them to patrol and secure forested areas.
He lauded Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State for equipping well-trained forest security guards with sophisticated firearms and technologically advanced gadgets to combat kidnappers, bandits, and other terrorist groups operating in forested areas.
Metchie also commended the governor for the recent launch of surveillance drones across the state, describing the initiative as “high-profile” and aimed at detecting and preempting criminal activities before they escalate.
According to the security expert, Mbah’s decision to train and equip forest guards with state-of-the-art security apparatus was “a bold and courageous step in the right direction” in addressing criminal insurgency in the state’s forest regions.
“Enugu State Governor has got it right, and in the next couple of weeks, the state will start reaping the dividends of his security initiatives,* he said.
Metchie further noted that the governor had set a template for local security services in the Southeast, urging his counterparts to emulate Enugu’s approach, particularly in the training and retraining of local security operatives like forest guards.
He congratulated the governor for establishing and equipping forest guards and urged other Southeast governors to follow suit, rather than arming untrained vigilante operatives, who, he said could pose more security risks to citizens.
Metchie also commended the Enugu State Commander-General of the forest guards for his purposeful leadership. (NAN)
