FG expands forest guards initiative to 10 states, trains personnel

The Federal Government has expanded the Presidential Forest Guards Initiative to 10 states, with more than 9,000 personnel now trained to help secure forests and other ungoverned spaces used by kidnappers, bandits and other criminal groups.

The Office of the National Security Adviser disclosed this in a statement on Friday, saying the latest phase of the programme covers Kaduna, Edo and Kogi states, where over 2,000 forest guards have completed training and are set to be deployed to identified security flashpoints.

The initiative is coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser and implemented under the operational leadership of the Department of State Services, with support from the National Intelligence Agency, Defence Headquarters, the Nigeria Police Force and the National Park Service.

According to the statement, the programme is being implemented in partnership with participating state governments to improve security in forests, border communities and other ungoverned spaces exploited by criminal elements.

The latest deployment follows the earlier training and graduation of more than 7,000 forest guards in Borno, Sokoto, Yobe, Adamawa, Niger, Kwara and Kebbi states.

The ONSA said many of the recruits were drawn from communities heavily affected by kidnapping, banditry and other security threats because of their familiarity with forests, footpaths, rivers, remote settlements and routes linking communities and states.

“The Presidential Forest Guards Initiative has been expanded to 10 states, with over 9,000 personnel trained to help secure forests and other areas used by kidnappers, bandits and armed groups.

“Many of the recruits were selected from communities affected by kidnapping, banditry and related security challenges. They have extensive knowledge of forests, footpaths, rivers, remote settlements and routes connecting communities and states.

“The government expects their knowledge of the terrain to improve surveillance and intelligence gathering. It is also expected to help security agencies identify routes and locations that may be difficult for personnel deployed from outside the affected communities to access,” the statement read.

It added that all recruits underwent screening, background checks and security vetting before selection to confirm their identities, community records and suitability for security duties.

According to the statement, the personnel received training in arms handling, navigation, field craft, patrol operations, intelligence gathering and forest protection.

“The training was designed to combine their knowledge of the environment with the discipline and operational skills required to work within an organised security structure,” it stated.

The government said the initiative was designed to restrict the movement of criminal groups through poorly monitored forest corridors often used to establish camps, hide abducted victims and move across communities and state boundaries.

“The forest guards are also expected to strengthen intelligence sharing between rural communities and conventional security agencies. They will serve as a link between affected communities and security institutions,” the statement added.

It noted that the officers would be deployed to forests, remote settlements, border communities and other areas affected by kidnapping, banditry and related crimes to support surveillance, early-warning efforts and intelligence-led operations.

The governors of Kaduna, Edo and Kogi states commended the Office of the National Security Adviser for coordinating the programme, saying it would complement existing security arrangements and extend government presence to areas with limited conventional security coverage.

The governors also pledged to support the welfare, deployment and operations of the forest guards in their respective states.

The ONSA said the broader objective of the initiative is to restore government presence in vulnerable areas, protect rural communities and prevent criminal groups from using Nigeria’s forests as safe havens.

The Presidential Forest Guards Initiative was launched by President Bola Tinubu in May 2025 to strengthen the protection of Nigeria’s forests against criminal activities.

In December 2025, the Federal Government graduated over 7,000 forest guards from seven frontline states after a three-month intensive training programme under the initiative.