A human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has called on the Federal Government to immediately release detained leaders of the Nigeria Forest Security Service (NFSS), describing their continued detention without trial as unconstitutional.
Falana, who spoke yesterday, said that the Commander-General of the NFSS, Dr Joshua Osatimehin, alongside six other officials of the organisation, was arrested on April 21, 2026, on the orders of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu.
He said the detained officials had remained in custody without being charged in court, a situation he said violates Section 35 of the Nigerian Constitution and Article 6 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, both of which guarantee the right to personal liberty.
The senior lawyer noted that the NFSS had been actively supporting security operations nationwide amid rising insecurity.
He said the organisation had provided security services to federal and state government agencies, corporate organisations, and private individuals in several parts of the country.
Falana added that forest guards had also been deployed to secure schools located in vulnerable rural communities, thereby contributing to the protection of lives and property.
He further stated that members of the forest security outfit had, on several occasions, facilitated the rescue of abducted citizens and handed them over to the Nigeria Police Force, revealing that some members of the group lost their lives during confrontations with terrorist groups and armed criminals.
The legal practitioner said that the arrest and detention of the forest guards were unjustifiable, especially at a time when many state governments are collaborating with vigilante groups and local security outfits to address insecurity.
Falana also recalled that both chambers of the National Assembly had passed the Forest Guards Bill in recognition of the outfit’s contribution to national security, noting that the Federal Government had already indicated support for the initiative by directing the Office of the National Security Adviser and the State Security Service (SSS) to recruit 130,000 forest guards nationwide.
He, therefore, urged the Federal Government to integrate members of the Nigeria Forest Security Service into the proposed National Guard structure rather than subjecting them to harassment and detention.
Falana also called on the Office of the NSA to release the detained leaders of the organisation without delay or charge them before
a court of competent jurisdiction in line with the rule of law.
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