7,000 Forest Guards Deployment Seen as Boost for Farming Communities

News in Brief:

-About 7,000 forest guards have graduated under the Presidential Forest Guards Initiative and are set for immediate deployment across seven states to reclaim forest areas from criminal groups.

-While officials say the programme will improve security and support agriculture and rural livelihoods, it has also sparked public concerns over recruitment, accountability, and the arming of the guards.

About 7,000 forest guards recruited from seven frontline states have graduated after completing a three-month training programme under the Presidential Forest Guards Initiative launched by President Bola Tinubu in May.

The initiative, coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), is a joint federal and state security effort aimed at reclaiming forest territories from bandits, kidnappers, and other criminal groups. It is an inter-agency scheme led by the NSA, supported by the Federal Ministry of Environment, and operationally coordinated by the Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Park Service.

Deployment Begins Immediately

The programme also involves the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Police Force (NPF), and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). Graduation ceremonies were held on December 27 in Borno, Sokoto, Yobe, Adamawa, Niger, Kwara, and Kebbi states.

National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu said the initiative would help restore state authority in forested and previously ungoverned areas. He said deployment would begin immediately, with no gap between graduation and active duty.

According to Ribadu, the guards will serve as first responders, support security agencies, gather intelligence, and secure reclaimed territories. He added that salaries and allowances would commence immediately. Officials said the programme recorded a 98.2% completion rate, with 81 trainees dismissed for disciplinary reasons and two deaths linked to pre-existing medical conditions.

Implications for Agriculture and Rural Livelihoods

Security analysts say the deployment could have significant implications for agriculture, particularly in states where farmlands border forest reserves that have become havens for criminal activity. Persistent insecurity has forced many farmers to abandon fields, disrupted planting and harvesting cycles, and constrained access to grazing routes.

Authorities say improved forest security could enable safer access to farmlands, reduce farmer–herder conflicts, and curb the illegal exploitation of forest resources, including timber and non-timber products. The presence of locally recruited guards is also expected to improve early warning and intelligence sharing in rural communities where agriculture remains the primary livelihood.

Public Scrutiny and Accountability Concerns

The guards were recruited from their local government areas to improve local intelligence and community trust. Governors AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara and Mai Mala Buni of Yobe attended the graduation ceremonies.

However, the programme has drawn public scrutiny, with concerns raised over recruitment procedures, funding, command structure, and accountability. Questions were also raised over images circulated online showing the guards carrying high-calibre weapons.

The concerns intensified following reports of a kidnapping suspect arrested in Kwara State who was allegedly found in possession of a rifle linked to a federal security operation. The Kwara State government said the individual and his associates were participating in an operation coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser.

Despite the clarification, public debate has continued over the scope of the forest guards’ mandate and the safeguards guiding the initiative.