Tinubu moves to flush out criminals from forests with new security initiative. By Ladidi Al-Hassan
Tinubu moves to flush out criminals from forests with new security initiative
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has given the green light for the creation of a National Forest Guard initiative designed to protect Nigeria’s 1,129 forests and drive out terrorists, bandits, and criminal gangs who have turned them into hideouts.
The approval, announced on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, by presidential spokesperson Sunday Dare, marks a bold step in the government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen national security.
In a statement on his official X account, President Tinubu instructed that the new forest guards be properly trained and equipped with arms to carry out their mission of reclaiming the nation’s forest reserves from criminal elements.
The initiative, a joint effort between the federal and state governments, will be supervised by the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Ministry of Environment to ensure its prompt and effective implementation.
Each state has been directed to recruit between 2,000 and 5,000 forest guards, based on their capacity, with national projections exceeding 130,000 operatives, including those to be deployed in the Federal Capital Territory.
The recruitment process, which is already underway, is expected to employ thousands of young Nigerians, providing not only job opportunities but also strengthening the country’s security architecture.
President Tinubu stressed the importance of reclaiming Nigeria’s forests, which have long served as sanctuaries for criminal groups.
“The country will take back its forests,” he declared, reaffirming his administration’s determination not to surrender “an inch” of Nigerian territory to criminal elements.
This reiterates his earlier pledge during a visit to Katsina State, where he promised to deploy modern surveillance and technology to combat insecurity, particularly in the North-West, where dense forests like the Rugu Forest are home to over 100 armed camps.
The initiative has been widely praised as a strategic response to the surge in banditry, kidnapping, and terrorism, which have crippled local economies. For example, Katsina State recorded zero foreign direct investment in the first nine months of 2024 due to persistent insecurity. President Tinubu remarked that “investment is cowardly” and avoids areas overrun by violence, reinforcing the need for stability to attract economic growth.
This initiative builds on existing state-level forest guard operations, with several states already running similar outfits under their agriculture ministries.
These units will now be armed and integrated into a broader national framework, with the Nigerian Hunter and Forest Security Service playing a key coordinating role.
As the recruitment and training process begins in earnest, Nigerians look ahead to the impact of this bold security initiative, which aims to restore peace and safeguard the country’s critical forest landscapes.
