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42 community rangers deployed to boost security at Gashaka Gumti National Park

Published

3 months ago

May 7, 2026

Preport

The National Park Service, NPS, has deployed 42 additional volunteer community rangers to strengthen security and conservation efforts at the Gashaka Gumti National Park located across Taraba and Adamawa states.

Speaking during the passing-out parade of the rangers in Serti, headquarters of Gashaka Local Government Area of Taraba state on Tuesday, the Conservator-General of the NPS, Ibrahim Goni, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to partnerships aimed at promoting biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihoods across the country.

Represented by George Kagon, Goni said the recruitment initiative was designed to address manpower shortages caused by retirements and other operational losses within the park service.

“By recruiting dedicated youths from host communities, we are not only strengthening park protection but also fostering a sense of shared ownership,” he said.

He commended President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, for their support to the service, while also appreciating Taraba State Governor Agbu Kefas and his Adamawa counterpart, Ahmadu Fintiri, for creating an enabling environment for the management of the park.

According to him, the newly recruited rangers underwent intensive training in patrol tactics, wildlife tracking, GPS usage, operational planning, and legal procedures to prepare them for field operations.

Also speaking, the Country Manager of the Africa Nature Investors (ANI) Foundation, Nacha Geoffrey, described Gashaka Gumti as a critical ecological asset and an important watershed for the River Benue that supports millions of Nigerians.

Geoffrey said the deployment marked another major step towards tackling environmental degradation and insecurity threatening the park.

“They are frontline guardians of this vast wilderness and a bridge between conservation authorities and host communities,” he said of the new rangers.

He explained that the recruitment exercise, the fourth since the programme began in 2021, forms part of the strategic partnership between the NPS and ANI Foundation aimed at restoring the park’s ecological integrity and strengthening community participation in conservation efforts.

Geoffrey identified illegal mining, logging, livestock encroachment, and poaching as some of the major threats facing the park, noting that the rangers would play key roles in patrol operations, community engagement, and protection of endangered wildlife species including chimpanzees and leopards.

Despite the rugged terrain of the park, including areas such as Chappal Waddi, he assured the rangers of continued institutional support through the provision of modern equipment, aerial surveillance, and training in first aid and human rights.

Also speaking, the Conservator of the park, D.A. Hamman, said the recruits had received training in conservation law, wildlife monitoring, first aid, and community relations.

“They have walked the ridgelines, tracked the streams, and learned to read the land. They understand that this park is not just forest and mountains, but a vital resource for communities and future generations,” Hamman said.

Traditional rulers from Gashaka, the Mambilla Plateau in Taraba State, and Ganye in Adamawa State commended the initiative, saying improved security had already enabled displaced farmers to return to their communities.

Speaking on behalf of the monarchs, the Lamdo of Gashaka, Alhaji Zuberu Hammagbdo, praised ANI Foundation for its interventions in education, women empowerment, livestock vaccination, and youth development.

“Thousands of cattle have been vaccinated by them,” he said, adding that many of the newly trained rangers were drawn from host communities.
Similarly, the Emir of Ganye, Alhaji Umaru Adamu Sanda, said ANI’s interventions had helped reduce youth unemployment and criminal activities in communities within his emirate.

Chairman of Gashaka Local Government Area, Umar Yusuf, described ANI’s presence as a blessing to both Gashaka and neighbouring Toungo Local Government Area in Adamawa State, assuring the organisation of continued support.

Some of the newly deployed rangers, including Victor and Sadiq, pledged to protect the park and preserve its resources for future generations.

Related Topics:boost community deployed Gashaka Gumti national Park Rangers security

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2027: Sowore blasts DSS for ‘belittling’ him at peace accord signing event

Published

34 minutes ago

August 19, 2026

Preport

The 2027 African Action Congress, AAC, presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore has blasted the Department of State Services, DSS, for looking down on him at the Peace Accord signing event ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Taking to his verified X handle on Wednesday, Sowore lamented that it is typical of Nigeria’s security agencies to belittle someone once he is not surrounded by a convoy of expensive cars and heavily armed escorts.

The human rights activist said the culture of intimidation, class discrimination, and arbitrary treatment by Nigeria’s security agencies must end.

“I arrived at the National Peace Committee’s Peace Accord signing event, only to be blocked at the gate by the DSS operatives.

“One of them demanded to see my invitation letter, even though he later admitted that he knew I was a presidential candidate.

“While this was going on, another presidential candidate swept in with his long convoy and was ushered through without any of this harassment.

“Then came another condition: I would not be allowed in with my staff. After that, they said my camera crew would not be allowed in either.

“I refused to accept this discriminatory treatment. If this is supposed to be a peace accord involving presidential candidates, then every candidate must be treated with equal dignity and respect.

“Not according to the size of their convoy, the number of security vehicles around them, or how much privilege they display.

“I insisted on my rights and made it clear that I would not succumb to discriminatory conduct,” he tweeted.

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WAFCON 2026 Fall-out: Talent Is Least Of Nigeria’s Problems That Prevent Good Results In Sports – Nkechi Obi

Published

2 hours ago

August 19, 2026

Preport

As a fact-finding panel commences inquiries into reasons behind recent setbacks hitting all levels and gender of Nigerian football, one of the country’s former officials, Nkechi Obi has declared that talent is not a major problem affecting the nation.

Sports247 reports that Obi, who is an erstwhile head of Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL), noted that the country has an abundance of talent but administrators keep on placing priority on hunting for what they already have, instead of providing platforms for those natural resources to be fully utilised.

Obi forwarded a deep insight into her viewpoint and made suggestions on the way forward while speaking during ‘Hot Seat’ segment of Sports247’s television programme, Inside Naija Sports, which streams online via YouTube and airs on NTA News 24 at 10am every Saturday.

She added, “We need a pipeline that converts raw talents to finished products seamlessly. The back-end support for this comes in terms of infrastructure that ensure everyone at the grassroots can participate in sports.

“Unfortunately, the conversation in Nigeria has always been about discovery of talents, but that should not be our focus. Talent is the least of our problems.

“Nigeria is like fertile soil where talents spring up naturally. However, the problem we have is how to channel our raw talents into finished products.”

The erudite and highly articulate sports guru, who is also a marketing expert, went on to profer steps that can take Nigeria out of the woods and put the country’s football teams firmly back on track.

Obi added, “We can put things right by creating a vibrant ecosystem on which sporting activities are built. For that to happen, we need adequate infrastructure; so that the whole community can get involved in sports.

“That means, first and foremost, we need to encourage mass participation in sports and put in place a market development strategy. This means we need a community driven participatory strategy that involves everybody who has an interest in sports.

“If you gather as many people as possible together at the community, the ones who are talented will naturally emerge and stand out. That would make it easier to start building your teams on a regular basis.”

She concluded by reeling out the merits of a mass-participation strategy and various benefits that would fall into place for the country, especially in terms of a steady reservoir of raw talents waiting to be harnessed in a gradual progression over time.

“This strategy will help us build a healthier citizenry, develop a vibrant market for goods and improve our service delivery efforts. This will also give us adequate feedback on the financial implications of our sports activities.

“We will be able to judge whether our sports sector is worth billions or not. We will see it by watching data and statistics that flow with the number of people involved in our sports and what they gain from it.

“Many people in Nigeria don’t like looking at data, but I follow it a lot. We have to start looking at figures to know if we are improving or not and what to do next.

“For instance, Little Baseball in America has 80 million children playing every weekend and they can gauge what economic gains can come out of it – if every child buys a bat, gloves, boots and a ball. That’s how you calculate economic development in sports, and you can make projections about dividends it will bring the country as a whole.”