The Federal Government has expanded its Presidential Forest Guards Initiative to 10 states, with more than 9,000 personnel trained to improve security in forests and other ungoverned areas frequently exploited by kidnappers, bandits and other criminal groups.
The Office of the National Security Adviser disclosed this in a statement, noting that the latest phase of the programme covers Kaduna, Edo and Kogi states, where over 2,000 newly trained forest guards are set to be deployed to identified security flashpoints.
The initiative is coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser and implemented under the operational leadership of the Department of State Services, with support from the National Intelligence Agency, Defence Headquarters, the Nigeria Police Force and the National Park Service.
According to the statement, the programme is being implemented in collaboration with participating state governments to strengthen security in forests, border communities and other remote areas vulnerable to criminal activities.
The latest deployment follows the earlier graduation of more than 7,000 forest guards in Borno, Sokoto, Yobe, Adamawa, Niger, Kwara and Kebbi states.
The ONSA said many of the recruits were selected from communities heavily affected by kidnapping and banditry because of their knowledge of local forests, footpaths, rivers and other difficult terrains.
“The Presidential Forest Guards Initiative has been expanded to 10 states, with over 9,000 personnel trained to help secure forests and other areas used by kidnappers, bandits and armed groups,” the statement said.
It added that the recruits’ familiarity with the terrain would strengthen surveillance and improve intelligence gathering for security agencies.
“The government expects their knowledge of the terrain to improve surveillance and intelligence gathering.
It is also expected to help security agencies identify routes and locations that may be difficult for personnel deployed from outside the affected communities to access,” the statement added.
The government explained that all recruits underwent screening, background checks and security vetting before being selected for the programme.
According to the ONSA, the personnel received training in weapons handling, navigation, field craft, patrol operations, intelligence gathering and forest protection.
“The training was designed to combine their knowledge of the environment with the discipline and operational skills required to work within an organised security structure,” the statement noted.
The government said the initiative is aimed at restricting the movement of criminal groups through poorly monitored forest corridors often used as hideouts and transit routes.
It added that the forest guards would also strengthen intelligence sharing between rural communities and conventional security agencies by serving as a link between residents and security institutions.
The trained personnel are expected to be deployed to forests, remote settlements, border communities and other areas affected by kidnapping, banditry and related crimes to support surveillance, early warning and intelligence-led operations.
The governors of Kaduna, Edo and Kogi states commended the Office of the National Security Adviser for coordinating the programme, describing it as a major boost to existing security efforts. They also pledged to support the welfare, deployment and operations of the forest guards in their respective states.
The Presidential Forest Guards Initiative was launched by President Bola Tinubu in May 2025 to strengthen security across Nigeria’s forests and deny criminal groups safe havens in remote areas.
