Insecurity: FG to deploy 7000 trained forest guards to seven states
The Federal Government has announced the immediate deployment of 7,000 newly trained forest guards to seven pilot states to strengthen security in forested and ungoverned areas across the country.
The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, disclosed this on Saturday in Yola, Adamawa State, during the graduation ceremony of the guards. He said the operatives would be deployed to vulnerable communities to gather actionable intelligence, support ongoing security operations, and re-establish government presence in areas long exploited by criminals.
According to Ribadu, the guards underwent an intensive three-month training programme that included physical conditioning, endurance drills, obstacle-crossing, and long-range patrol simulations to prepare them for sustained forest operations.
The pilot states are Adamawa, Borno, Kwara, Kebbi, Niger, Sokoto, and Yobe. The initiative, launched by President Bola Tinubu in May under the Presidential Forest Guards programme, is a joint effort between the federal and state governments.
Training was conducted by personnel drawn from the Nigerian Army, Navy, Police, DSS, NSCDC, National Park Service, and the National Intelligence Agency. The guards are mandated to combat banditry, terrorism, insurgency, and other criminal activities within Nigeria’s vast forest regions.
Ribadu added that the pilot phase would pave the way for nationwide deployment, noting that plans are already underway to train additional batches across more states.
Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, urged the forest guards to see their role as a call to service and to relate with residents in a civil and professional manner.
