Massive Security Shake-Up: Tinubu Government Deploys 7,000 Forest Guards Nationwide

The Federal Government has finalised arrangements to deploy at least 7,000 newly trained forest guards to seven pilot states in a renewed push to tackle insecurity and regain control of Nigeria’s vast ungoverned forest areas.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, revealed this on Saturday in Yola, Adamawa State, during the graduation ceremony of the forest guards after an intensive training programme.

Ribadu said the guards would be deployed immediately to communities most affected by insecurity, especially those located near forest belts that have become safe havens for criminal groups.

He noted that the forest guards are expected to collect actionable human intelligence, support ongoing security operations, and re-establish government presence in areas where it has been weak or non-existent for years. According to him, they will work closely with existing security agencies to combat banditry, insurgency, terrorism, and other crimes linked to forest hideouts.

The NSA explained that the guards completed a rigorous three-month training programme conducted simultaneously across the seven pilot states of Adamawa, Borno, Kwara, Kebbi, Niger, Sokoto, and Yobe. The training included physical and mental conditioning, endurance drills, obstacle navigation, and long-range patrol simulations to prepare them for sustained forest operations.

He added that the forest guards were mobilised under the Presidential Forest Guards initiative launched by President Bola Tinubu in May, as a joint effort between the Federal Government and state governments. Ribadu said the programme underscores the administration’s commitment to proactive, intelligence-driven security measures.

Instructors for the training were drawn from multiple security and intelligence agencies, including the Nigerian Army, Navy, Department of State Services, Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, National Park Service, and the National Intelligence Agency.

Ribadu stressed that the current deployment represents only the pilot phase, with plans already underway to expand the initiative nationwide through the recruitment and training of additional personnel.

Speaking at the event, Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri urged the newly graduated guards to view their role as a national service and to carry out their duties with professionalism and respect for civilians. He emphasised that gaining the trust of host communities would be crucial to the success of the programme.

The deployment of the forest guards is expected to strengthen security efforts in forested regions that have long served as hideouts for bandits and other criminal elements across the country.