The Nigerian government has charged seven persons, including two former army and police officers, with illegal security operations, firearms trafficking and possession of prohibited weapons linked to an organisation identified as the Nigeria Forest Security Service (NFSS).
The federal government, through the Director of Public Prosecutions, Rotimi Oyedepo, fil d the suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday.
The defendants are Adewale Osatimehin, Major Abubakar A Mohammed, a retired major,; Okonkwo Lawrence, a retired superintendent of police, Usman Yakasai; Sunday Akpa, also a retired major; Jov Charles and Kuku Reuben.
According to court filing, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/285/2026, seen by PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday, the defendants were accused of participating in the establishment and operation of the NFSS without the required licence or authorisation.
The charges said the defendants committed the offences in Abuja in April.
Charges
In Count One, the prosecution accused the defendants of knowingly operating an illegal association contrary to Section 1 of the Private Guard Companies Act, 1986, punishable under Section 17 of the same law.
The federal government also accused the defendants of trafficking firearms, ammunition and related materials through the organisation without lawful authority.
It also said sometime in April 2026 did commit trafficking of firearms, ammunition, and related materials through illegal association known as “Nigeria Forest Security Service (NFSS)” without the requisite licence or authority and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 28 of the Firearms Act, Cap F28, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The prosecution further alleged that the defendants forged 40 booklets of firearms licences purportedly issued by the Nigeria Police Force.
The alleged forgery, contained in Counts Three and Four, was said to violate Section 1(2)(c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
The government also accused the defendants of unlawful possession of ammunition and prohibited firearms.
The prosecution alleged that the accused persons were found with 13 cartridges, two locally fabricated double-barrel rifles and one locally made pistol without licences.
The offences were said to be contrary to Section 4 of the Firearms Act, Cap F18, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
It also said the defendants, sometime in April 2026 in Abuja, were in unlawful possession of one locally made pistol without a licence.
Falana reacts
Reacting to the charges on Thursday, human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, a SAN, criticised the federal government’s prosecution of the defendants.
Mr Falana said the defendants were charged over the alleged possession of locally made pistols and other weapons for the sole purpose of providing security for individual citizens as well as public agencies and private institutions.
“In view of the worsening insecurity in the country, the FG cannot justify the ongoing harassment of the forest guards. The Attorney-General of the Federation should therefore withdraw the charges without any delay,” he said in a statement shared with PREMIUM TIMES.
The senior advocate also urged the Federal Government to integrate the forest guards into the country’s security architecture.
“In addition, the FG should ensure that the forest guards are integrated into the security system, retrained and equipped to confront the terrorists and bandits that are on rampage in all the states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
“After all, the FG has been integrating the so called repentant terrorists who had kidnapped and killed many unarmed citizens with illegally acquired AK-47 rifles and other dangerous weapons,” he said.
The NFSS, formerly known as the Nigerian Hunters and Forest Security Service (NHFSS), describes itself as a security outfit established to support conventional security agencies in combating crimes in forests and rural communities across the country.
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The organisation says it operates across states and local government areas and has been seeking legal backing through an establishment bill before the National Assembly. It also claims to assist security agencies in tackling kidnapping, banditry and other crimes in forest areas.
“It is our pleasure to inform the general public that our Bill for an Enabling Act to Establish the Nigerian Hunter & Forest Security Service (NHFSS) as a Federal Government Security Service to detect and prevent forest crime has been passed concurrently by both Senate and House of Representative respectively, awaiting the Presidential’s assent,” the security outfit stated on its website.