The Lion Heart Hunters’ Association, a volunteer security outfit, was formed to collaborate with relevant agencies in flushing out crimes associated with bushes across the federation.
The Controller General of the organisation, Comrade Aminu Tijani Muhammed, disclosed this in an interview with THE WHISTLER on Monday. Muhammed said his organisation has the concept of traditional hunters, and will collaborate with forest guards and other security agencies to make bushes and forests uninhabitable to criminals, thus ensuring safe farming operations for farmers.
He praised the establishment of forest guards, adding that both organisations would complement each other for the security of the country. In his words, “Forest guards are just emerging, just like the Lion Hearts. Before three years, both organisations would have gotten to the stage where our partnership will find a lasting solution to the emerging banditry associated with bushes and forests.”
Comrade Muhammed said his organisation is currently functional in the states of Bayelsa, Delta, Ogun, Lagos, Kano, Katsina, Taraba, Adamawa and Nasarawa, as well as the Federal Capital Territory.
“We have about 19 states under us, and over 12, 000 dedicated personnel, and still counting,” he said. “Our modus is to deploy our operatives to threatened areas. We have our state controllers, who operate in synergy with our area commanders. We have area commanders who oversee other cadres. We rely on intelligence reports. That is why we engage locals who understand the terrains. We also rely on high-tech.”
He said his organisation anticipates high-level partnerships with forest guards and various conventional security agencies. Quoting him, “We are still mobilising. We want to occupy the 36 states of the country first to ensure perfect collaborations.”
He said Lion Heart Hunters’ Association is registered in Nigeria, and that the legal status of the agency had been communicated to the military, civil defence, the DSS, and the police, adding that “the Ministry of Interior is already notified, and they are looking into our paper as we speak.”
He explained that the organisation is voluntary, and composed of able-bodied men with proven integrity. “We screen our personnel before engaging them. We are guided by a code of conduct and laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We make use of canine dogs. We are the hunters. You can’t fight in the forests without the hunters. We are to guard schools, churches, mosques and various places that are left behind in remote areas. We give alerts and let relevant agencies aware of what is happening for proactive surveillance,” he said.
(The Whistler)