Each State is expected to recruit at least 2,000 to 5,000 heavily-armed and well-trained forest guards, depending on its financial capacity, and the recruitment would be supervised by the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Ministry of Environment.
Laolu Afolabi and Solomon Odeniyi
To curb escalating insecurity across Nigeria, 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.
The initiative, approved during Monday’s expanded Federal Executive Council meeting, mandates each state to recruit between 2,000 and 5,000 forest guards based on their capacity.
The recruitment and training will be supervised by the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Ministry of Environment.
A rough projection of 3,500 recruits per state translates to over 130,000 new forest guards, including those for the Federal Capital Territory.
Each state is expected to recruit at least 2,000 to 5,000 heavily-armed and well-trained forest guards, depending on its financial capacity, and the recruitment would be supervised by the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Ministry of Environment.
A rough estimate of about 3,500 recruits per state would result in the recruitment of at least 130,000 forest guards across the states and the Federal Capital Territory.
A statement released by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, on his X handle, entitled: “Forest Guards Established by Federal Government,” revealed this on Wednesday.
“President Tinubu has approved the establishment of forest guards and commencement of their employment to secure the 1,129 forests in the country.
“The President directed that the forest guards are to be well-trained and armed to perform their duties, which is essentially to flush out terrorists and criminal gangs hiding inside the forests for criminal activities.
“This recruitment is a security collaborative effort between the federal and state governments. The office of the NSA and the Ministry of Environment have been directed to take charge and ensure full implementation.
“Thousands of young Nigerians are expected to be employed as personnel of the outfit,” the statement read.
During a recent visit to Katsina State, the President had warned that his administration would not surrender an inch of the country’s territory to terrorists, bandits, and other criminal gangs operating inside the forests and vowed that the country would take back its forests.
Nigeria has over 1,129 forest reserves, making it one of the African countries with a large number of gazetted forest areas.
These reserves vary in size and management, and most are under the control of state governments, though a few fall under federal jurisdiction, especially those within national parks or designated biosphere reserves.
Many of the reserves, however, face significant threats from illegal logging, encroachment for farming, infrastructure development and, recently, security challenges, as some now serve as criminal hideouts.
States already acting
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 a national security efforts.
The Nigerian Hunter and Forest Security Service lists state commanders for Niger, FCT, Kogi, and Benue states, indicating their active roles in forest security.
Other states may also have their forest guard units, although their specific operations and names might vary.
“Several states already have forest guards under their agriculture ministries. The plan is to now arm and upscale them under a unified national strategy,” a Presidency source who preferred to be anonymous because he was not authorised to speak on the development stated.
The PUNCH reported on April 2, 2024, that no fewer than 10 states had begun the process of deploying forest guards to protect farmers and flush out bandits.
At President Bola Tinubu’s meeting with the governors in February 2024, the Federal Government and states agreed to recruit forest rangers and invest in more training to “keep our forests and our borders safe,” said the Information Minister, Mohammed Idris, when he briefed State House correspondents after the meeting.
It was gathered that the President asked the governors to discuss the issue of forest guards further at the state level.
Speaking exclusively with our correspondent on the issue after the February 2024 meeting, a Presidency official who did not want to be named said, “The President told the state governors to discuss it further at the state level.
“A committee was set up for that. We have not heard from the committee yet. Don’t also forget that simultaneously, the National Assembly is considering inserting state policing in the constitution. So, there is a consensus around state policing.
“As for the forest guards, work is going on with it. There are existing forest guards in several states, but they are under the states’ ministries of agriculture. The goal now is to strengthen their capacity by arming them properly and recruiting more people.
“Still, it all falls in the hands of the states to strengthen the forest guards. That is where we are now.”
Invasion worries govs
Several state governors have raised alarm over the invasion and illegal occupation of forest reserves within their jurisdictions.
While initial activities centred on resource exploitation and deforestation, the situation has taken a criminal turn, with many bandits and terrorists now using these reserves as hideouts to launch attacks across states.
In Kwara State, there have been reports of security threats linked to the proximity of Kainji Lake National Park. In response to recent attacks by the Mahmuda terrorist group in communities such as Duruma and Kaiama, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq visited the affected areas to assess the situation firsthand.
The park, which spans Niger and Kwara states, has been identified as a potential route for terrorists moving from the Republic of Benin into Nigeria.
The Upper Ogun Forest Reserve in Kwara serves as a corridor connecting Kainji Lake National Park to other regions, raising concerns about the ease of movement for criminal elements through these forested areas.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Olufemi Oluyede, following the attack in Kwara, directed troops stationed at Sobi Barracks in Ilorin to eliminate terrorist elements within the Kainji Dam axis within a month, underscoring the urgency of the situation
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Beyond Kwara, several other states have reported challenges related to forest reserve invasions.
Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State recently highlighted the infiltration of foreign terrorists into the state’s forests, attributing recent attacks to these elements.
The Old Oyo National Park, adjacent to forest reserves, has been identified as vulnerable to invasions by criminal elements, posing security threats to nearby cities.
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, lamented the influx of bandits to the forest reserves in the South, after they were chased out by superior firepower of the military.
Govt recommendations
Following the recommendations by the governor to the President on forest guards, the President approved that states should recruit based on their strength.
A source in the Presidency said each state can recruit between 2,000 and 5,000 Forest Rangers, depending on its financial capacity.
He added that the Federal Government through office of NSA and Federal Ministry of Environment will drive the implementation and train the forest rangers to highest standards and be armed with guns.
Speaking on the recruitment, the Presidency source said it would be very tight and rigorous and would involve security agencies, traditional rulers and community leaders.
“Each state will determine its recruitment figures based on resources, with the Federal Government ensuring standardisation and coordination.
“Recruitment will be rigorous. Security agencies, traditional rulers, and community leaders will be involved. Forest guards will be armed and trained to the highest standards,” he said.
Efforts to contact the Director of Forestry at the Federal Ministry of Environment, Dr. Moses Ama, were unsuccessful, as his phone was switched off.
Security experts react
A retired Army General, Peter Aro, hailed the development as a critical step in addressing rising insecurity within Nigeria’s forested regions, particularly the scourge of banditry, kidnapping, and insurgency.
However, he cautioned that assigning joint oversight of the service to both the Ministry of Environment and the Office of the National Security Adviser could sow confusion and weaken the agency’s operational independence.
“It represents a victory for those who have long championed a specialized response to forest-based threats like kidnapping and insurgency. However, this moment of triumph risks being squandered if the foundation is flawed. Assigning both the Ministry of Environment and the Office of the National Security Adviser to co-supervise this new outfit introduces the risk of power struggles, unclear directives, and bureaucratic confusion, especially regarding recruitment and procurement processes.”
He argued that the ONSA, while central to intelligence coordination, is not designed for the operational management of paramilitary services and should not be burdened with such a role.
“Handing it such roles threatens to derail the professionalism already embedded in the NFSS through years of field experience, internal vetting mechanisms, and the effective use of trusted local operatives, particularly traditional hunters,” he added.
According to Aro, the NFSS has already built a solid foundation through years of grassroots involvement, relying on trusted local operatives, including traditional hunters.
He cited their successes, particularly along the volatile Abuja-Kaduna rail corridor, as evidence of the organization’s capacity. Currently, the NFSS boasts a presence of 3,000 personnel in each state, including the Federal Capital Territory.
“This is not a job for just anyone. It requires experience and dedication.
“The Commandant-General, who funded and led this organisation from its private beginnings, deserves institutional continuity—not interference.”
Aro likened the NFSS to other national institutions such as the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Federal Road Safety Corps, which were allowed to mature into effective agencies.
He warned that failure to give the NFSS similar breathing room could doom the initiative.
A security analyst, Chidi Omeje, strongly criticised plans to deploy forest guards to tackle armed bandits in the forests, warning that such move could lead to unnecessary loss of lives.
“Which forest are we talking about? Isn’t it the same forest we’re seeing — the one filled with coordinated syndicates of bandits armed with all manner of weapons? What kind of weapons are we giving to these forest guards? Look, I wouldn’t want us to send them to their deaths.
“These forest guards cannot withstand the firepower of the kind of bandits we have in our forests.
“Our forests have become dens of heavily armed, well-trained criminals. Sending forest guards, probably with only shotguns or even AK-47s, is like sending them to their deaths.”
He argued that the nation’s current strategy should focus on bolstering military presence.
“We need more soldiers, more boots on the ground, and proper platforms with serious firepower.
“You can’t send forest guards into that situation. We’ll be harvesting deaths. They’ll be stuck in the middle like rats. I don’t support that idea.
“Well, if the plan is to complement existing efforts, then fine — but how exactly will they complement anything? What can they really do against those already in the forests? Haven’t we seen video clips showing how sophisticated these criminals are? How can forest guards confront that level of threat?”
Instead, Omeje advocated for the use of advanced technology and air support. “We should be talking about drones, aerial surveillance systems, and in some cases, even carpet bombing — based on verified intelligence.”
He maintained that only the military, supported by air and police forces, had the capability to reclaim Nigeria’s forests from armed groups.
