From Victor Osula, Abuja
Nigeria has taken a major step to strengthen its internal security architecture with the graduation and immediate deployment of over 7,000 newly recruited Forest Guards across seven frontline states.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Saturday by the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Rabiu Ibrahim, following the completion of a three-month intensive training programme under the Presidential Forest Guards Initiative launched in May 2025 by President Bola Tinubu.
Graduation ceremonies were held on Saturday in Borno, Sokoto, Yobe, Adamawa, Niger, Kwara and Kebbi states, marking the formal induction of the guards into active service.
The initiative, coordinated through the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), is aimed at denying terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and other criminal groups access to forested and hard-to-reach areas long used as operational hideouts.
According to the Federal Government, the training was deliberately rigorous, blending environmental conservation principles with advanced security competencies to produce a disciplined, mission-ready force capable of sustained forest operations. Trainees were subjected to physical and mental conditioning, long-range patrol simulations, tactical fieldcraft, ambush response drills and rescue operations.
Speaking at the graduation ceremonies, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, described the programme as a critical intervention to restore state authority and protect vulnerable communities.
“These Forest Guards are not just uniformed personnel. They are first responders, community protectors, and a critical layer of Nigeria’s security architecture”, Ribadu said.
He confirmed that deployment would commence immediately, stressing that there would be no administrative delay between graduation and field operations.
“There will be no delay between graduation and deployment. Salaries and allowances will commence immediately, and every certified guard will proceed directly to assigned duty posts”, he assured.
The statement revealed that the programme recorded a 98.2 percent completion rate, with 81 trainees disqualified on disciplinary grounds, while two others died from pre-existing medical conditions. All successful participants have been certified and cleared for operational duties.
The Forest Guards were recruited from their respective local government areas, a strategy the government said would enhance terrain familiarity, intelligence gathering and community trust in combating banditry, kidnapping and illegal exploitation of forest resources.
The initiative is an inter-agency national security programme led by ONSA in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Environment and operationally coordinated by the Department of State Services and the National Park Service, with strategic input from the Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
Governors and deputy governors from participating states, including Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, and Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, attended the ceremonies.
Reaffirming the Federal Government’s commitment, Ribadu said the Forest Guards programme would be expanded nationwide.
“By protecting our forests, we are securing our territory. And by securing our territory, we are protecting our people”, the NSA said.
