BREAKING: Tinubu Launches Forest Guards To Crush Terrorists, Bandits Nationwide

In a bold step to strengthen national security, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the creation of a dedicated Forest Guard unit to protect Nigeria’s 1,129 forest reserves. Recruitment into the new security force has officially begun.

This was announced on Wednesday in a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare.

As outlined in the directive, the Forest Guards will receive comprehensive paramilitary training and be armed with weapons. Their mission: to track down and eliminate terrorists, bandits, and other criminal groups using Nigeria’s forests as their base of operations.

The recruitment is being handled collaboratively by federal and state governments, signalling a unified front in tackling the worsening security threats in rural and forested regions.

Oversight and coordination of the initiative will rest with the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Federal Ministry of Environment, both tasked with ensuring its full implementation.

Thousands of Nigerian youths are expected to be recruited, creating employment opportunities while reinforcing the country’s security architecture.

“The President has approved the establishment and recruitment of forest guards to protect the nation’s 1,129 forests,” the statement read. “These officers will be trained and armed to rid our forests of terrorists and armed criminals. This is a joint security effort between the federal and state governments, under the supervision of the NSA and the Ministry of Environment.”

President Tinubu had earlier declared his administration’s zero-tolerance stance against criminal occupation of any part of Nigeria. He vowed to reclaim the nation’s forest territories and ensure that no land is left in the hands of terrorists or bandits.

This latest move signals a decisive escalation in the government’s effort to restore law and order across all corners of the country.