Senate Calls For Mainstreaming Of National Parks

The Senate yesterday called for the mainstreaming of the National Park Service into the national security architecture in line with the resolution of 12th National Council on Environment.
Senate resolution is sequel to a motion by Sen. Umar Suleiman All Progressives Congress (APC) on the need to mainstream the National Parks Service into the Nigerian security architecture.
The motion was also co-sponsored by 10 other senators, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.
Umar, while presenting his motion at plenary said that national parks in Nigeria were becoming safe havens for criminal elements within the society, who often use the parks as hide out.
He said the routine patrol by security agencies do not cover the parks and the parks rangers are only trained to guide and protect the parks.
He said what was at the disposal of the park rangers were obsolete and low calibre arms and ammunition such as double barrel short guns, pump action and dane guns.
Umar expressed worry that the parks “are now homes to organised crimes with resultant killings of rangers and commuters by poachers and herdsmen’’.