Forest Guards Initiative: FG Strengthens Forest Security, Trains Additional 9,000 Personnel

The federal government has intensified efforts to curb insecurity across Nigeria’s forests with the training of more than 9,000 additional personnel under the Presidential Forest Guards Initiative.

The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), in a statement, said the initiative, coordinated by the office and implemented under the operational leadership of the Department of State Services (DSS), is aimed at strengthening security in forests and other ungoverned spaces often exploited by kidnappers, bandits and other criminal elements.

According to ONSA, the programme has now been expanded to 10 states in collaboration with participating state governments to enhance security in forests, border communities and other remote areas vulnerable to criminal activities.

The latest phase covers Kaduna, Edo and Kogi states, where more than 2,000 forest guards have completed training and are expected to be deployed to identified security flashpoints. The new recruits add to over 7,000 forest guards previously trained and graduated in Borno, Sokoto, Yobe, Adamawa, Niger, Kwara and Kebbi states.

ONSA said many of the personnel were recruited from communities most affected by kidnapping and banditry because of their familiarity with local forests, footpaths, rivers, remote settlements and inter-state routes.

The office noted that all recruits underwent rigorous security screening, background checks and identity verification before participating in intensive training covering weapons handling, navigation, field craft, patrol operations, intelligence gathering and forest protection.

According to the statement, the forest guards will support surveillance, intelligence-led operations and crime prevention in forests, remote settlements and border communities. They will also strengthen intelligence gathering and early warning systems by improving information sharing between local communities and conventional security agencies.

ONSA said the initiative is designed to restrict the movement of criminal groups through forest corridors frequently used as hideouts, transit routes and locations for holding abducted victims.

The statement added that the governors of Kaduna, Edo and Kogi states have pledged to support the welfare, deployment and operations of the newly trained forest guards, while reaffirming the federal government’s commitment to strengthening its security presence in vulnerable communities and restoring safety across Nigeria’s forests.