President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of armed forest guards to reclaim Nigeria’s 1,129 forests from terrorists and criminal gangs.
The initiative aims to flush out criminals hiding in forested areas and strengthen national security.
Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, announced the decision on Wednesday via his official X account.
“The President directed that the forest guards be well-trained and armed to carry out their primary duty of flushing out terrorists and other criminals hiding in the forests for illegal activities,” Dare stated.
Federal and State Governments to Oversee Recruitment
The recruitment process will be a joint effort between the federal and state governments. The Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Ministry of Environment will oversee the full implementation of the initiative.
Thousands of young Nigerians are expected to be employed as personnel of the newly established security outfit. The initiative aligns with the administration’s push to tackle unemployment while restoring peace to rural and peri-urban communities.
President Tinubu had earlier warned terrorists that his administration “would not surrender an inch of the country’s territory to terrorists, bandits, and other criminal gangs operating inside the forests.” He vowed that Nigeria “would take back its forests.“
The forest guard program will complement existing military operations and help reduce the operational reach of criminal networks. The recruitment process is expected to begin soon, with details on application and training to be jointly released by the supervising agencies.
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