In a bold and sweeping move to reclaim Nigeria’s forests from the grip of terrorists and criminal gangs, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the establishment of a specialized and armed Forest Guard force to secure the nation’s 1,129 forest reserves.
The President issued a firm directive for the immediate recruitment and deployment of these guards, mandating that they be “well trained and well armed” to flush out terrorists, bandits, and other criminal elements who have turned forests across the country into safe havens for nefarious operations.
“The era of ungoverned spaces is over,” a top official in the Presidency quoted Tinubu as saying during a high-level security briefing. “Our forests will no longer be a breeding ground for terror and lawlessness. We are taking back our territory, inch by inch.”
President Tinubu tasked the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, with overseeing the full implementation of the initiative, which will begin with the recruitment of forest guards. The effort, according to the President, will be a joint security initiative between the federal and state governments to ensure seamless coordination and territorial coverage.
“This is not just about security; it is about sovereignty, food security, and national survival,” Tinubu reportedly said, underlining the significance of the forests to Nigeria’s ecological and economic stability.
The formation of this elite security outfit marks a historic shift in Nigeria’s counter-terrorism strategy, moving aggressively to dominate and secure rural and forested areas that have long been exploited by insurgents for ambushes, hideouts, and illicit activities.
Analysts have praised the move as “long overdue,” citing the rising threats from non-state actors who have taken advantage of the federal vacuum in remote areas to wreak havoc on farming communities, kidnap travelers, and launch attacks on villages and security formations.
With the President’s clear resolve and directive, Nigeria’s security architecture is set for a significant transformation — one that aims to restore law, order, and safety to the nation’s most vulnerable regions.
