Abuja: The Federal Government has expanded the Presidential Forest Guards Initiative to 10 states, with more than 9,000 personnel trained to strengthen security in forests and other ungoverned spaces used by kidnappers, bandits, and other criminal groups.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, a statement from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) indicated that the programme was coordinated by ONSA and implemented under the operational leadership of the Department of State Services. Other participating agencies included the National Intelligence Agency, Defence Headquarters, Nigeria Police Force, and the National Park Service.
The initiative is being implemented in partnership with participating state governments to reduce the vulnerability of forests, border communities, and other ungoverned spaces exploited by criminal elements. The latest phase covered Kaduna, Edo, and Kogi states, where more than 2,000 forest guards have completed training and are set for deployment to identified security flashpoints.
The development follows the earlier training and graduation of over 7,000 forest guards in Borno, Sokoto, Yobe, Adamawa, Niger, Kwara, and Kebbi states. Many recruits were drawn from communities affected by kidnapping, banditry, and related security challenges due to their familiarity with forests, footpaths, rivers, remote settlements, and inter-state routes. Their local knowledge is expected to enhance surveillance, intelligence gathering, and access to difficult terrains that conventional security personnel might find challenging to navigate.
The recruits underwent screening, background checks, and security vetting before selection to verify their identities, community records, and suitability for security responsibilities. They were subsequently trained in weapons handling, navigation, field craft, patrol operations, intelligence gathering, and forest protection to prepare them for structured security operations.
The initiative is designed to restrict the movement of criminal groups through poorly monitored forest corridors often used to establish camps, conceal abducted victims, and move across communities and state boundaries. The forest guards will also strengthen intelligence sharing between rural communities and conventional security agencies by serving as a bridge for timely information and early warning.
The personnel will be deployed to forests, remote settlements, border communities, and other vulnerable locations to support surveillance, intelligence-led operations, and crime prevention. The governors of Kaduna, Edo, and Kogi states commended the Office of the National Security Adviser for coordinating the initiative, describing it as a strategic intervention to complement existing security arrangements. They also pledged to support the welfare, deployment, and operations of the forest guards in their respective states.
The broader objective of the initiative is to restore government presence in vulnerable areas, protect rural communities, and deny criminal groups safe havens in Nigeria’s forests.