The federal government has expanded the Presidential Forest Guards Initiative to 10 states, with over 9,000 personnel trained to enhance security in forests and other ungoverned spaces exploited by kidnappers, bandits, and criminal networks.
A statement from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) on Friday confirmed that the programme, coordinated by ONSA and implemented under the operational leadership of the Department of State Services, involves multiple agencies including the National Intelligence Agency, Defence Headquarters, the Nigeria Police Force, and the National Park Service.
The initiative is being delivered in partnership with participating state governments to reduce the vulnerability of forests, border communities, and remote areas frequently used as hideouts by criminal elements.
The latest phase covers Kaduna, Edo, and Kogi states, where more than 2,000 forest guards have completed training and are being deployed to identified security flashpoints. This 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 directly affected by kidnapping and banditry, selected for their intimate knowledge of local forests, footpaths, rivers, remote settlements, and inter-state routes. Their local expertise is expected to enhance surveillance, intelligence gathering, and access to difficult terrain that conventional security forces may find challenging to navigate.
Recruits underwent rigorous screening, background checks, and security vetting before selection to verify their identities, community records, and suitability for security responsibilities. Training covered weapons handling, navigation, field craft, patrol operations, intelligence gathering, and forest protection.
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 facilitate cross-border movements. Forest guards will also strengthen intelligence sharing between rural communities and conventional security agencies, serving as a vital link for timely information and early warning.
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 have commended ONSA for coordinating the initiative, describing it as a strategic intervention complementing existing security arrangements. They have pledged to support the welfare, deployment, and operations of the forest guards in their respective states.
The broader objective of the initiative, according to the statement, is to restore government presence in vulnerable areas, protect rural communities, and deny criminal groups safe havens within Nigeria’s forests.