President Bola Tinubu has approved the creation and deployment of a fully armed forest guard corps to flush out criminal elements from Nigeria’s forest regions and restore government control across ungoverned areas.
The new initiative, announced Wednesday night by Presidential Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, is aimed at dislodging terrorists, kidnappers, and other criminal groups from the country’s 1,129 identified forest zones—many of which have served as operational bases for violent non-state actors.
Dare, via his verified X account @SundayDareSD, revealed that the forest guards will be professionally trained, equipped with arms, and jointly recruited by both federal and state governments.
Coordination of the programme will be handled by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Federal Ministry of Environment as part of a broader, multi-agency security and environmental protection strategy.
“The President has directed that the forest guards be well trained and armed to eliminate terrorists and criminal gangs from our forests,” Dare stated. “Recruitment will be a joint exercise between federal and state governments, with ONSA and the Environment Ministry ensuring full implementation.”
Thousands of young Nigerians are expected to be employed under the programme, which is also seen as part of the administration’s broader efforts to reduce unemployment and restore peace in rural and semi-urban communities.
Reaffirming his commitment to national sovereignty and security, President Tinubu emphasized: “No inch of Nigerian territory will be surrendered to criminals.”
