FG Expands Forest Guards Initiative To 10 States

Morganable News/security&Justice

ONSA noted that the programme is being coordinated from its office and implemented under the operational leadership of the Department of State Services, with support from multiple security agencies including the National Intelligence Agency, Defence Headquarters, Nigeria Police Force and the National Park Service

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The Federal Government has expanded the Presidential Forest Guards Initiative to 10 states, deploying more than 9,000 trained personnel to strengthen security in forests and other ungoverned spaces increasingly used by kidnappers, bandits and armed groups across Nigeria.

The development was disclosed on Friday by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), which said the latest phase of the programme now includes Kaduna, Edo and Kogi states.

According to the statement, over 2,000 forest guards have completed training in the three states and are set to be deployed to identified security flashpoints.

The initiative, launched in May 2025 by President Bola Tinubu, is part of broader efforts to address rising insecurity, particularly in rural and forested areas where criminal groups have established camps, hidden abducted victims and coordinated attacks.

ONSA noted that the programme is being coordinated from its office and implemented under the operational leadership of the Department of State Services, with support from multiple security agencies including the National Intelligence Agency, Defence Headquarters, Nigeria Police Force and the National Park Service.

Authorities said the expansion reflects growing recognition of the need to secure forests and remote areas that have long served as operational bases for criminal networks.

The programme is also being implemented in collaboration with participating state governments to enhance security in border communities and hard-to-reach settlements.

Over 9,000 Forest Guards Trained Nationwide

The latest deployment follows an earlier phase in which more than 7,000 forest guards were trained and graduated in seven frontline states Borno, Sokoto, Yobe, Adamawa, Niger, Kwara, and Kebbi, bringing the total number of trained personnel to over 9,000 nationwide.

According to ONSA, a key feature of the initiative is the recruitment of personnel from communities heavily affected by insecurity.

Officials said this approach is intended to leverage local knowledge of terrain, including forests, footpaths, rivers and remote settlements that are often difficult for external security operatives to navigate.

“The Presidential Forest Guards Initiative has been expanded to 10 states, with over 9,000 personnel trained to help secure forests and other areas used by kidnappers, bandits and armed groups,” the statement read.

It added that many of the recruits were selected because of their familiarity with local geography and community networks, which is expected to significantly improve surveillance and intelligence gathering.

“The government expects their knowledge of the terrain to improve surveillance and intelligence gathering.

It is also expected to help security agencies identify routes and locations that may be difficult for personnel deployed from outside the affected communities to access,” the statement added.

ONSA further disclosed that all recruits underwent extensive screening processes, including background checks and security vetting, to verify their identities and ensure their suitability for the role.

The training programme covered arms handling, navigation, field craft, patrol operations, intelligence gathering and forest protection.

“The training was designed to combine their knowledge of the environment with the discipline and operational skills required to work within an organised security structure,” the statement noted.

Security analysts have long argued that Nigeria’s forests, which stretch across several states, have become major security vulnerabilities due to a weak government presence.

Criminal groups often exploit these areas to evade arrest, move weapons, and coordinate cross-border operations.

The government said the forest guards would be deployed to strategic locations, including forests, border communities and remote settlements, to support surveillance, early-warning systems and intelligence-led operations.

Officials believe this will help restrict the movement of criminal groups through poorly monitored corridors.

“The forest guards are also expected to strengthen intelligence sharing between rural communities and conventional security agencies. They will serve as a link between affected communities and security institutions,” ONSA said.

Kaduna, Edo, Kogi Welcome Initiative

Governors of Kaduna, Edo and Kogi states welcomed the initiative, describing it as a timely intervention that would complement existing security arrangements.

They pledged to support the welfare, deployment and operational needs of the personnel in their respective states.

The Federal Government said the broader objective of the programme is to restore state presence in vulnerable areas, protect rural populations and prevent forests from being used as safe havens for criminal activity.‎

NCYP Urges FG to Expand Forest Guard Nationwide

Meanwhile, the Northern Christian Youth Professionals (NCYP) has called for the nationwide expansion of the initiative, warning that Nigeria may be approaching a dangerous turning point in its security trajectory.

In a statement signed by its chairman, Isaac Abrak, the group commended the Armed Forces for ongoing operations against terrorist elements but expressed concern over what it described as a recurring pattern of dislodging insurgents without establishing sustained control over reclaimed territories.

“While we acknowledge and commend the gallantry and responsiveness of the Armed Forces, we must strongly emphasise that the recurring pattern of dislodging terrorist elements from forest locations without a sustained holding and stabilization framework continues to create a cycle of return, re-infiltration, and renewed attacks,” the statement said.

The group warned that insecurity in Nigeria is evolving and spreading geographically, exploiting gaps in territorial control and forest governance.

“This evolving spread underscores a deeper structural challenge: insecurity is not only persisting, but also adapting geographically, exploiting gaps in territorial control and forest governance,” it stated.

NCYP further noted that the persistence of insecurity has led to the rise of informal security arrangements in many communities, including vigilante groups and local defence units.

“In response to these persistent security gaps, there is a growing and understandable trend of communities turning toward self-protection mechanisms. Across affected regions, local vigilante formations, hunters’ groups, and community defence initiatives have increasingly emerged as immediate responses to insecurity,” the statement added.

Drawing comparisons with conflict-affected regions such as Iraq and parts of the Sahel, the group cautioned against the dangers of uncoordinated security structures, warning that Nigeria risks drifting toward security fragmentation if proactive measures are not taken.

“Nigeria is still at a preventable stage of security fragmentation, but the trajectory is already forming,” the group warned.

Security experts say the success of the Forest Guards Initiative will depend on sustained funding, proper coordination among security agencies and continuous engagement with local communities.

They also stress the importance of integrating the forest guards into a broader national security framework to ensure accountability and effectiveness.

As the Federal Government expands the initiative, attention is likely to focus on how quickly the newly trained personnel can be deployed and whether their presence will significantly reduce incidents of kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes in affected regions.