The Nigeria Forest Security Service (NFSS), Ebonyi State Command, has disclosed that it deployed more than 400 personnel across the state during the August 22, 2026 local government election, with a pledge to substantially increase its operational presence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The State Commander of the NFSS, Commander Larry Igwe, made the disclosure in an interview with journalists in Abakaliki on Tuesday while reviewing the security situation during the council poll, which saw the All Progressives Congress (APC) win the chairmanship seats across the state's 13 local government areas and the available councillorship positions.
Igwe said the deployment formed part of a coordinated security arrangement aimed at maintaining peace, preventing electoral violence and supporting other statutory security agencies in the protection of lives and property before, during and after the exercise.
According to him, NFSS personnel were deployed across communities, electoral wards, local government areas and other strategic locations, enabling the command to gather intelligence and provide relevant information to sister security agencies.
“Over 400 of our personnel were deployed for the local government election across Ebonyi State. Our men were on the ground in the various local government areas, wards and communities, monitoring developments and complementing the efforts of other security agencies,” Igwe said.
“From our assessment as a grassroots-based security organisation, the atmosphere during the election was calm and peaceful. There was no major security breakdown, and our personnel were able to work with other agencies in ensuring that the exercise was conducted in a peaceful environment.”
The NFSS commander commended the security agencies involved in the operation for what he described as effective inter-agency collaboration, intelligence sharing and coordinated surveillance.
He also attributed the relatively peaceful atmosphere recorded during the election to the peace and security initiatives of the Ebonyi State Government under Governor Francis Nwifuru.
“We must acknowledge the efforts of all the security agencies that worked during the election. Security is a collective responsibility, and the level of cooperation among the agencies helped to make the job easier.
“Our men were not deployed to operate in isolation. We worked to provide useful intelligence and information that could assist the relevant authorities in taking proactive measures against any threat to peace,” he stated.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, Igwe said the command had begun assessing its operational strategies and would redouble its personnel deployment to ensure a more robust security architecture across the state.
He said the forthcoming elections, comprising the presidential, governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly contests, would require sustained vigilance and enhanced security coordination.
“The 2027 general elections are approaching, and we are prepared. Based on our experience during the local government election, we will redouble our men on duty and strengthen our operational deployment across the state.
“We are determined to sustain the peaceful atmosphere witnessed during the local government poll. Our responsibility is to work within the law, protect lives and property, gather credible intelligence and support the relevant security agencies in preventing any form of violence or criminality,” Igwe said.
The commander further warned political actors and stakeholders against actions capable of undermining public peace, insisting that campaigns and electoral activities must be conducted strictly within the framework of the law.
“We will not support lawlessness from any quarter. Political parties are free to pursue their programmes and campaigns, but everybody must play according to the rules. Elections must not be allowed to become a platform for violence or the disruption of public order,” he said.
Igwe also called on incoming local government chairmen, councillors, traditional rulers, town union leaders, youth organisations and community leaders to strengthen their collaboration with security agencies.
According to him, many security challenges at the grassroots could be addressed more effectively when community leaders provide timely, credible and actionable information to security operatives.
“Security agencies depend substantially on information from the people. The police, the military and other security organisations act on intelligence and evidence. If the wrong information is supplied, innocent people may suffer while the actual offenders escape.
“That is why grassroots leaders must be objective and patriotic. They should not shield criminal elements because of political, personal or sectional interests. Anyone who commits an offence should face the consequences under the law,” he added.
Igwe urged the incoming council officials to adopt proactive security management and development policies, saying effective grassroots governance remained critical to the prevention of crises.
He said the NFSS would continue to strengthen its intelligence-gathering capacity and community-based security network as Ebonyi moves towards the 2027 electoral cycle.
The commander maintained that the deployment of more than 400 NFSS personnel during the local government election demonstrated the command's capacity and readiness to contribute to the maintenance of peace, while assuring that the number would be increased for the general elections.
“Our commitment is clear: we will redouble our efforts and increase the number of our men on duty for the 2027 elections. We want to ensure that Ebonyi remains peaceful throughout the campaign period, on election days and after the declaration of results,” Igwe said.
