The federal government has trained over 7,000 forest guards for immediate deployment across seven states as part of a nationwide security push to deny armed groups access to forests increasingly used for kidnappings, banditry and terrorism.
Rabiu Ibrahim, special assistant to the Minister of Information and National Orientation, said in a statement on Saturday that the guards completed a three-month training programme under the Presidential Forest Guards Initiative launched in May 2025 by President Bola Tinubu. He said the programme was designed as a coordinated federal and state response to worsening insecurity in forested and hard-to-reach areas.
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Graduation ceremonies were held simultaneously on 27 December in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Sokoto, Niger, Kwara and Kebbi states. The initiative targets criminal groups that have turned forests into operational bases for mass abductions, arms trafficking and attacks on rural communities.
According to the statement, the training was “deliberately intensive, structured, and demanding,” combining physical conditioning, tactical fieldcraft and long-range patrol simulations with lessons on environmental protection. The guards were trained in ambush response, rescue operations and coordinated offensive actions intended to disrupt criminal networks operating in forest corridors.
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The programme also placed strong emphasis on professionalism and legality. Trainees received instruction on human rights, international humanitarian law, gender rights and the protection of civilians, while the use of force was regulated under a jointly agreed arms management framework.
National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu said the guards would serve as a critical layer in Nigeria’s security architecture. “These forest guards are not just uniformed personnel. They are first responders, community protectors, and a critical layer of Nigeria’s security architecture,” he said. “They will hold ground, gather intelligence, and support security agencies in reclaiming territories previously overtaken by criminal elements.”
Mr Ribadu said deployment would begin immediately, adding that there would be no delay between graduation and posting to duty locations. “Salaries and allowances will commence immediately, and every certified guard will proceed directly to assigned duty posts,” he said.
Out of the trainees enrolled, 98.2 percent completed the programme successfully. The statement said 81 trainees were disqualified on disciplinary grounds, while two died from pre-existing medical conditions. All others were certified fit for operational service.
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The forest guards were recruited from their local government areas to take advantage of their knowledge of terrain and community dynamics. The initiative is coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser, with operational support from the State Security Services and the National Park Service, and strategic input from the military, police and civil defence corps.
The deployment comes amid persistent insecurity across Nigeria, where forests and ungoverned spaces have played a central role in criminal activity. In recent years, armed groups have abducted hundreds of schoolchildren from hostels and classrooms in states such as Kebbi and Niger, while travellers and farmers have been routinely seized along forest routes linking the north-west and north-central regions.
By targeting these forest enclaves, the federal government says the new force will complement existing security operations and restore state presence in areas long dominated by criminal groups.
“By protecting our forests, we are securing our territory. And by securing our territory, we are protecting our people,” Mr Ribadu said, adding that the initiative would expand nationwide as part of a sustained effort to improve public safety.
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