NPS Resolves Gashaka Gumti Crisis With Communities

National Park Service (NPS) has reiterated its commitment to restoring and maintaining law and order at Gashaka Gumti National Park in Taraba State.

Speaking against the backdrop of the incident between the park rangers and the communities, the NPS said all issues have been resolved.

According to NPS, the rangers took all possible measures to avoid confrontation with the natives until the attackers attempted to take away firearms from the rangers causing different degrees of injuries to the rangers.

“It is with deep regret we share that in the morning of Tuesday, June 25, 2024, three teams of rangers arrested three persons for clearing significant parts of the park for farming in the Mayo Sabere area in the southern part of the Gashaka Gumti National Park and were ambushed and attacked by a large crowd of persons while on routine patrol inside the park,” the statement reads.

The statement continued, “Investigations have revealed that during the ambush, the rangers took all possible measures to avoid confrontation. However, this became unavoidable when some of the attackers attempted to take away firearms from the rangers while causing different degrees of injuries to these rangers.

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“Reports indicate that tragically, three people from the attackers died as a result. We send our most sincere condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives.”

Following the unfortunate episode, the NPS said it activated its response channels based on its zero-tolerance policy for abuse and commitment to upholding the rights of communities and staff while carrying out their legitimate responsibilities.

“A senior delegation was sent from the National Park Service (NPS) headquarters to work with our team on the ground, collaborating with other authorities and community leaders to ensure the issue was properly investigated and resolved.

We held a Board of Inquiry and extensive consultations with all relevant stakeholders to analyse the exact actions that took place and prevent this from happening again. On compassionate grounds, families of the deceased were supported so that they could continue to support their livelihoods.

“Our partnership with the ANI Foundation has been critical to restoring law and order in Gashaka Gumti National Park, and we have every confidence in this partnership’s ability to protect and develop the park.

“The National Park Service has enjoyed a cordial working relationship with the surrounding communities for decades, whom we support through different livelihood opportunities and jobs,” the statement reads.