By Harriet Tornguvan
The Chad Basin National Park and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) have sought deeper collaboration with the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), to enhance security operations and humanitarian interventions across the North-East region.
The call was made during separate courtesy visits to the Theatre Commander of OPHK, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, at the Headquarters of the Joint Task Force in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Speaking during the visit, the Conservator of Parks, Chad Basin National Park, Mr. Innocent Asuquo, stressed the need for stronger inter-agency cooperation to address security challenges affecting national parks and forest reserves in the region.
Asuquo noted that terrorists and other criminal elements often exploit forested and remote areas as hideouts, adding that no single agency possesses the capacity to tackle the threats alone.
He commended Operation Hadin Kai for its resilience and sacrifices in the fight against insurgency, saying the military's efforts have contributed significantly to restoring peace, security and socio-economic activities in the North-East.
The Conservator expressed optimism that closer collaboration between the National Park Service and the military would further strengthen efforts to deny criminal elements safe havens within protected forest areas.
Responding, Major General Abubakar reaffirmed the military's commitment to deepening cooperation with the Chad Basin National Park and other relevant stakeholders.
According to him, the evolving security environment requires coordinated action, particularly in addressing threats emerging from ungoverned forest spaces.
The Theatre Commander highlighted the role of park authorities and forest guards in biodiversity conservation, environmental security and community development, urging effective monitoring and management of protected areas to promote tourism while preventing their use by criminal groups.
He also assured the National Park Service of continued support, including capacity-building initiatives aimed at enhancing operational effectiveness.
In a related development, the Deputy Head of Office of UN OCHA in Nigeria, Ms Patricia Mucheche, also called for strengthened collaboration with Operation Hadin Kai to improve humanitarian access and service delivery to vulnerable populations affected by the insurgency.
Mucheche commended the military for facilitating humanitarian operations across the region, noting that the partnership has enabled aid agencies to reach communities impacted by conflict.
She appealed for increased access to vulnerable populations and enhanced security support for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), particularly as resettlement efforts continue and the rainy season approaches.
In his response, the Theatre Commander described UN OCHA as a dependable partner in the military's non-kinetic operations and humanitarian efforts.
He acknowledged the organisation's contributions in food distribution, nutrition programmes, prevention of gender-based violence, emergency response, disaster management and family reunification initiatives.
Major General Abubakar noted that the collaboration between OPHK and humanitarian agencies has significantly improved the lives of vulnerable populations, particularly through resettlement programmes that have enabled displaced persons to return to their ancestral communities and resume productive livelihoods.
He reaffirmed the military's commitment to providing a secure environment for humanitarian operations through sustained patrols, counter-improvised explosive device (IED) activities and other security measures designed to ensure safer access routes.
The Theatre Commander assured that Operation Hadin Kai would continue to create safe and protected environments for vulnerable populations across the North East.
The visits concluded with the signing of the visitors' register, exchange of souvenirs and group photographs attended by senior military officers, including the Deputy Theatre Commander, Air Vice Marshal Olusola Akinboyewa, Chief of Staff Headquarters OPHK, Brigadier General Sani Ahmed, component commanders and other principal staff officers.
