The Federal Government has widened the scope of the Presidential Forest Guards Initiative to 10 states, training over 9,000 forest guards to improve security across forests and remote areas frequently used by kidnappers, bandits and other criminal elements.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), which said the programme is coordinated by the agency and implemented under the operational supervision of the Department of State Services (DSS).
According to the statement, the initiative also involves the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Defence Headquarters (DHQ), the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the National Park Service (NPS).
ONSA explained that the project is being executed in collaboration with participating state governments to strengthen security in forests, border communities and other ungoverned areas vulnerable to criminal activities.
The latest phase of the programme covers Kaduna, Edo and Kogi states, where more than 2,000 forest guards have completed training and are expected to begin operations in identified security hotspots.
The agency noted that the new batch follows the earlier graduation of over 7,000 forest guards in Borno, Sokoto, Yobe, Adamawa, Niger, Kwara and Kebbi states.
It added that many of the recruits were selected from communities heavily affected by kidnapping and banditry because of their knowledge of forests, waterways, footpaths, remote settlements and routes linking different states.
The statement said this familiarity with the terrain would improve surveillance, intelligence gathering and access to locations that are often difficult for conventional security forces to reach.
Before recruitment, all candidates underwent background checks, screening and security vetting to confirm their identities, community records and suitability for the assignment.
The recruits were subsequently trained in weapons handling, navigation, patrol operations, field craft, intelligence gathering and forest protection to prepare them for their security responsibilities.
ONSA said the initiative is intended to disrupt the activities of criminal groups that rely on poorly monitored forest corridors to establish camps, hide kidnapped victims and move across communities and state boundaries.
It added that the forest guards would also enhance information sharing between rural communities and security agencies by providing timely intelligence and early warning on emerging threats.
According to the statement, 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 ONSA for spearheading the programme, describing it as an important measure to reinforce existing security efforts. They also pledged to support the welfare, deployment and operations of the forest guards in their respective states.
The statement added that the overall goal of the initiative is to restore government presence in vulnerable communities, improve the safety of rural residents and deny criminal groups safe havens within Nigeria’s forests.
Over 9,000 Forest Guards Trained as FG Extends Programme to 10 States
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