- Federal government of Nigeria moves to establish security guards against the backdrop of rising insecurity
- Mixed reactions trail the proposed Federal forest guard
- Afenifere, SMBLF others kick, say state police is the answer to the rising insecurity
Recently, President Bola Tinubu approved the establishment of armed forest guards to secure Nigeria’s 1,129 forests from terrorists and criminal gangs.
WITHIN NIGERIA gathered that this was disclosed by Sunday Dare, the special adviser to president Tinubu on media and public communication on his official X account.
According to Dare, “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. The recruitment is a collaborative security effort between the federal and state governments.
“The Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Ministry of Environment have been tasked with overseeing and ensuring the full implementation of the initiative.
“Thousands of young Nigerians are expected to be employed as personnel of the newly established outfit.”
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 President directed that the new forest guards be professionally trained and properly armed to meet the security challenges within the country’s forests, many of which have been exploited by kidnappers, bandits, and insurgents in recent years.
Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to securing every inch of Nigerian territory, declaring that no part of the country would be abandoned to lawlessness.
“The recruitment is a joint effort between federal and state governments.
“Thousands of young Nigerians are expected to be employed for the initiative.”
WITHIN NIGERIA checks revealed that the establishment of the forest guards by the joint effort of both Federal and state governments is part of the Tinubu administration’s broader strategy to address the root causes of insecurity while simultaneously providing employment opportunities for the country’s teeming youth population.
The recruitment process is expected to begin soon, with details on application and training to be jointly released by the supervising agencies.
The initiative is also seen as a way of complementing existing security operations and environmental protection strategies.
As security agencies ramp up efforts to regain control over ungoverned spaces, the forest guard program adds a critical layer of localized security—one that experts hope will help reduce the operational reach of criminal networks and restore public confidence in rural and peri-urban areas.
Reactions trail FG’s approval of Forest Guards outfit
In any case, since the directive by President Ahmed Tinubu to establish the forest guards some days ago, reactions have continued to trail the approval.
However, reacting to the development, Pius Mordi, the National Publicity Secretary, Ubulu-Uku Kingdom Descendants Central Union, said, “This is a tacit admission that the occupation of ancestral sacred forests by elements associated with Fulani cattle herders is unlawful.”
Speaking during a media chat with some news men, he said the federal government should first make a pronouncement that such occupation is illegal and order them out.
“This declaration is important because when communities in southern states raised the alarm when it all began, some northern members of the National Assembly openly encouraged the occupation. That was when the occupiers became more brazen.”
According to him, “The idea of forest guards is okay for enforcement after the federal government must have made the formal declaration on the illegal occupation of ancestral forests.
“But, we are not comfortable with the role of Abuja in the initiative. It should be a task for the state and local governments.
“The initiative will be sabotaged and scuttled if the federal government should play any role beyond the training of people so recruited in weapon handling and other specialist activities.
”Having suggested the measure, the federal government should leave it entirely to
“The federal government cannot be trusted. Ultimately, the final solution will come with the constitutional amendment to enable states establish their own Police,” Mordi said.
By and large, a security expert, Lawrence Alobi has faulted the establishment of the federal government forest guards.
Alobi, a former Police Commissioner in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, picked a hole in the proposed establishment of Forest Guards by the federal government to protect the country against attacks from insurgents.
Reacting on Thursday afternoon, a retired Commissioner of Police, Lawrence Alobi stated that the idea to create a new security unit was not well thought out by the government.
Speaking on Arise TV, Alobi asked how the Forest Guards would be trained.
“It is a good idea. But how are they going to be trained? Who regulates the Forest Guards. Will the Forest Guards have the capacity to confront the armed Boko Haram?
“If they are not well trained, there will be problem because if they confront bandits, the bandits will capture them and seize their arms. These questions need to be addressed so that the objective will be achieved.
“My suggestion is that the federal government should expand the police and the military to tackle Boko Haram. These are military formation that are already in existence.
“Bandits are carrying sophisticated weapons. They are ready to die and destroy. Why not empower the police rather than proliferation of security agencies?
“Government should increase the earnings of police and improve on technology. Forest Guards is not the best option.
“If I have my way, I will advise the president to expand the Police force.”
SMBLF on the forest guard establishment
The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) has strongly opposed the Federal Government’s plan to reintroduce a National Forest Guard to tackle insecurity, describing it as unnecessary and unconstitutional.
SMBLF, which comprises Afenifere (Pan-Yoruba sociopolitical group), Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Middle Belt Forum, and the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), also called for the immediate termination of the emergency rule declared in Rivers State.
In a communiqué issued after an emergency meeting and jointly signed by Oba Oladipo Olaitan, Dr. Bitrus Pogu, Senator John Azuta-Mbata, and Ambassador Godknows Igali, the forum criticised the Federal Government and the National Assembly for what it described as their failure to adequately address the growing insecurity across the country.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria and, in particular, the National Assembly must now accept their failure to provide the most fundamental duty of securing life and property. We continue to witness the impunity of Fulani terrorists and their foreign collaborators unleashing genocidal attacks on indigenous communities, especially in the Middle Belt, such as the ongoing crisis in Benue State,” the communiqué stated.
The forum called on President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly to rise to their constitutional responsibilities and take decisive action to restore peace and order.
Among its recommendations, the SMBLF proposed that all police officers from the rank of Chief Superintendent and below should be deployed to their states of origin, and reiterated the call for the establishment and empowerment of state police forces.
The communiqué continued: “SMBLF condemns the proposed National Forest Guards as an unnecessary federal security layer. All security institutions, aside from the Armed Forces, Nigeria Police, Civil Defence, and State Security Services, should be integrated into state-level security architecture. Forests and lands are constitutionally under the exclusive jurisdiction of states.
“The forum also condemns the repeated fire-brigade approach of deploying military troops to volatile areas. These deployments have proven ineffective and unnecessarily divert the military from its primary constitutional role of defending the nation’s territorial integrity.
“Until Nigeria is fully restructured along the lines of true federalism, states must take proactive steps to secure their territories. The Southwest’s Amotekun Corps is a model example that should be replicated, fully equipped, and empowered to deter criminal elements.”
On the controversial emergency rule in Rivers State, SMBLF described the declaration as illegal, undemocratic, and dangerous for Nigeria’s democratic journey.
“SMBLF considers any appointments into state agencies or local government positions by the military administrator, or any attempts to conduct elections under the emergency rule, as unconstitutional. We demand that Rivers State be returned to normal democratic governance immediately.
“The National Assembly must exercise its oversight functions with dignity and without compromise. Attempts by the interim administrator to impose his will on the state’s constitutional structures must not be tolerated. Such actions will be seen as undermining democratic rights and obstructing peaceful resolutions.”
Afenifere frowns at the establishment of federal forest guard
The Pan Yoruba socio-group, Afenifere, has backed the establishment of State Police against the Federal Government-controlled Forest Guards, describing it as anti-federalism.
The group in a communique signed by the Secretary-General, Sola Ebiseni, after its Monthly General Meeting held at the residence its leader, Oba Oladipo Olaita,n in Ilesa on Tuesday, disclosed that the establishment of State police in line with the dictate of true federalism is the panacea to current frightening insecurity across the country.
It adds, “Afenifere expressed concerns about the frightening state of insecurity and called for the establishment of State Police in line with true federalism.
“Afenifere insisted that State Police will work better for our situation rather than the proposed Forest Guards with overriding Federal Command, particularly in our federation where land matters is within exclusive constitutional jurisdiction of states.
“We believe that Forest Guard with Federal command is anti-federalism”.
While condemning acts of terrorism in the north-central part of the country, the group called for a return to modern agriculture with adequate security for farmers, adding that it would soon establish skill acquisition centres in member states to train youths free of charge.
Centre lauds Tinubu for approving establishment of national forest guard system
The Country President of the United Nations Positive Livelihood Award Centre UN-POLAC, Amb Peter Ohagwa has commended President Bola Tinubu for approving the establishment of a national forest guard system and the recruitment of over 130,000 armed operatives to secure the country’s 1,129 forest reserves.
In a statement on Friday in Abuja, Amb. Ohagwa described the development as timely intervention in the security reinforcement of the country aimed at protection of lives and property.
The UN-POLAC boss said the initiative would drastically reduce criminalities as well as kidnapping in boundary forests across the Federation which has become a safe haven for criminals.
Ohagwa also said that local vigilantes in our various rural communities across the federation should be part of the formation and recruited with vigorous training towards improved service delivery.
It would be recalled that UN-POLAC Country President on 26th February 2025 during a one day national dialogue on promoting peace building and climate -smart agriculture as catalyst for economic growth and food security requested that the Federal Government considered the Rehabilitation or Re-establishment of Forest Security Corps in our forests to keep criminals and kidnappers away while providing a safe environment for famers and creating jobs for our teaming youths.
The statement said: “Furthermore, during the last Sallah celebration,when UN-POLAC felicitated with Muslim Faithfuls, this was captured as we commended the federal government move that made National Assembly to be committed in driving the force that made it possible for the push to pass second reading and now the President has stamped the Approval as well as deployment, is really commendable and a step in the right direction.”
He charged the office of the NSA and Federal ministry of Environment who are to oversee the effective implementation of the initiative to be proactive towards timely execution.
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