Nigeria Government to establish armed forest guards to secure forest reserves from terrorist and foreign mercenaries

In one of my columns and publications in the first quarter of this year 2025, I emphasized the need for government of nigera to review present security strategies and to act decisively to curb the rising wave of insecurity across the 6 geo political zones.

The President Tinubu led administration have reacted swiftly after consulting with necessary security stakeholders and service chiefs to established an armed forest guards and rangers to complement the effort of the current security arrangements in the country.

The latest boko Haram assaults on the base of Nigeria army in Bornu state that claim lives of soldiers and led to kidnapping of men in uniform that are supposed to protect the civilians from banditry and kidnapping is a cause for alarm.

The incursion of terrorist elements into Kwara state and declaration of certain parts of Niger state as terrorist haven, with weekly report of kidnapping in Ondo State and other parts of the country are the reasons the government is responding with the armed forest guards.

President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of a national forest guard system and ordered the recruitment of over 130,000 armed operatives to secure the country’s 1,129 forest reserves.

Each state to recruit between 2,000 and 5,000 heavily armed and well-trained forest guards, depending on its financial capacity.

The recruitment and training will be supervised by the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Ministry of Environment.

Security agencies, traditional rulers, and community leaders will be involved in the processes.

Note: At least 11 states have operationalised forest guards, also known as forest rangers or forest security, but the plan is to arm and upscale the guards for national security efforts.