President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the establishment and deployment of a new national forest guard outfit aimed at securing Nigeria’s forests and flushing out terrorists, bandits, and other criminal elements using them as hideouts.
The initiative, according to a statement issued by the Special Adviser on Public Communications and Orientation, Sunday Dare on Wednesday, is part of a renewed security collaboration between the federal and state governments and will lead to the employment of thousands of young Nigerians.
Forest guards to be trained, armed, and deployed nationwide
The President directed that the forest guards must be well-trained, well-armed, and prepared to carry out their duties across the 1,129 forest reserves nationwide.
“This is a clear directive from the President to take back our forests from terrorists and criminal gangs,” Dare stated.
President Tinubu, in previous comments, had vowed that his administration would not surrender “an inch of the country’s territory” to terrorists or non-state actors.
The creation of the forest guard corps is seen as a major policy step toward reclaiming ungoverned spaces and restoring confidence in rural and farming communities.
NSA, Environment Ministry to lead implementation
To ensure swift implementation, Tinubu has instructed the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Ministry of Environment to take full charge of the project.
The new outfit is expected to serve as both an environmental protection and security enforcement agency, particularly in areas severely affected by banditry, kidnappings, and terrorist activities.
Experts have long warned that Nigeria’s porous forest zones—especially in the North-West, North-Central, and parts of the South—have become operational bases for heavily armed groups, making forest-based security reforms a pressing national priority.
Further details on the recruitment process and timeline are expected to be released by the implementing agencies in the coming weeks.
