The Federal Government has announced the immediate deployment of 7,000 newly recruited forest guards as part of a renewed push to reclaim Nigeria’s forests from terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, and other criminal elements.
The recruits, drawn from seven frontline states, completed an intensive three-month training programme under the Presidential Forest Guards Initiative, launched in May 2025 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In a statement issued on Friday by Rabiu Ibrahim, media aide to the Minister of Information and National Orientation, graduation ceremonies were held on December 27, 2025, across Borno, Sokoto, Yobe, Adamawa, Niger, Kwara, and Kebbi states.
The initiative is designed to strengthen Nigeria’s internal security architecture by denying criminal groups sanctuary within forests and other hard-to-reach terrains that have increasingly become safe havens for violent activities.
According to the statement, the training programme was deliberately intensive and structured to transform participants into agile, disciplined, and mission-ready operatives. The curriculum blended environmental conservation principles with advanced security and tactical skills.
Trainees underwent rigorous physical and mental conditioning, including endurance drills, obstacle courses, long-range patrol simulations, and tactical fieldcraft covering movement techniques, ambush response, rescue operations, and coordinated offensive actions.
Significant emphasis was also placed on ethics and professionalism. Modules included human rights, International Humanitarian Law, gender rights, and civilian protection. Arms handling and use-of-force protocols were strictly guided by the jointly agreed Arms Management Manual.
Speaking at the ceremonies, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu described the programme as a decisive step toward restoring state authority and protecting vulnerable communities across the country.
“These Forest Guards are not just uniformed personnel. They are first responders, community protectors, and a critical layer of Nigeria’s security architecture. They will hold ground, gather intelligence, and support security agencies in reclaiming territories previously overtaken by criminal elements,” Ribadu said.
He confirmed that deployment would commence immediately, with no gap between graduation and operational duty.
“There will be no delay between graduation and deployment. Salaries and allowances will commence immediately, and every certified guard will proceed directly to assigned duty posts,” the NSA stated.
The programme recorded a 98.2 per cent completion rate. A total of 81 trainees were disqualified on disciplinary grounds, while two others died due to pre-existing medical conditions. All successful participants have been fully certified and cleared for operational service.
Notably, the graduating forest guards are indigenous to their respective local government areas, a strategy aimed at leveraging terrain familiarity and community trust in tackling banditry, kidnapping, and illegal exploitation of forest resources.
The Nigerian Forest Guard is an inter-agency national security initiative established under the leadership and strategic guidance of the National Security Adviser, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Environment. Operational coordination is provided by the Department of State Services and the National Park Service, with strategic input from the Defence Headquarters, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Police Force, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
Governors and deputy governors from the seven participating states attended the graduation ceremonies, including AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Mai Mala Buni, while other states were represented by their deputy governors.
Reaffirming the Federal Government’s commitment, Ribadu said the initiative would be expanded nationwide.
“By protecting our forests, we are securing our territory. And by securing our territory, we are protecting our people. The Federal Government will not relent. This initiative will expand nationwide as part of our sustained effort to build a safer and more secure Nigeria,” he said.
