When the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, took to the podium at the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC) in Abuja on Thursday morning, few expected the scale of the announcement that would follow. In what he described as a “historic security operation,” Ribadu unveiled the Federal Government’s new Forest Guards Initiative — an ambitious plan to deploy 130,000 armed personnel across Nigeria’s vast forests and game reserves to combat banditry, kidnapping, and terrorism that have, for years, plagued the country’s rural heartlands.
The announcement was made during the opening session of the Federal and States Security Administrators’ Meeting (FSSAM), a convergence of top security administrators from Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. The mood in the conference room was one of cautious optimism, as Ribadu detailed a vision that could reshape the country’s security architecture. “We are taking the fight to where the criminals hide,” he declared firmly, his tone carrying the conviction of a man who has spent decades pursuing the nation’s most elusive threats. “The Forest Guards Initiative is a bold step to secure our forests, restore peace to rural communities, and deny bandits and kidnappers freedom of action.”
For many Nigerians, the statement signaled a long-overdue change in strategy. The forests of Nigeria — from the Sambisa in the Northeast to Kamuku and Kainji in the Northwest and Omo in the South — have become notorious hideouts for criminal gangs and insurgents. Over the past decade, these wooded sanctuaries have served as bases for mass kidnappings, illegal mining, arms trafficking, and violent ambushes on highways and villages. Despite repeated military offensives, the problem has persisted, largely because of the vastness and inaccessibility of Nigeria’s forest reserves, which together cover over 10 million hectares — nearly 11% of the country’s total land area.
According to Ribadu, the Forest Guards Initiative, approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, marks a decisive shift from reactive counterterrorism to proactive territorial control. The plan involves arming, training, and deploying over 130,000 forest guards nationwide, beginning with pilot operations in Adamawa, Borno, Niger, Kebbi, Kwara, Sokoto, and Yobe States — all major flashpoints in the country’s ongoing insecurity crisis. These personnel will be equipped with modern surveillance tools, communication devices, and rapid response capabilities. Their mission: to monitor, intercept, and neutralize criminal activity within forested regions, while working in coordination with the military, police, and intelligence agencies.
The significance of this initiative cannot be overstated. For years, security analysts have lamented the absence of a dedicated force focused on rural and forested zones, where most violent crimes originate. Banditry, in particular, has thrived in these ungoverned spaces, allowing armed groups to kidnap travelers, raid villages, and hold hostages for ransom — sometimes for weeks — without encountering resistance. Ribadu’s plan, therefore, aims to fill this critical gap.
“The forests have long been the invisible battlefield of Nigeria’s insecurity,” said a senior official at the National Counter-Terrorism Centre who spoke on condition of anonymity. “For the first time, we are moving to dominate that terrain. The Forest Guards will not only protect people but also reclaim the environment from criminal exploitation.”
Indeed, the environmental angle of the initiative is just as important as its security dimension. According to the Permanent Secretary of the Special Services Office, Mr. Muhammed Danjuma, who also addressed the meeting, the program was designed as a joint effort between the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Federal Ministry of Environment, and state governments. “This is a security game-changer,” Danjuma said, emphasizing that the guards will not only fight crime but also help protect Nigeria’s natural resources and ecosystems, which have suffered devastating damage from illegal logging, poaching, and mining.
“The destruction of our forests is both an environmental and national security crisis,” Danjuma explained. “When criminal groups take over forest areas, they exploit both people and resources. They destroy wildlife, extort communities, and create zones of lawlessness. The Forest Guards Initiative is therefore not just about guns and uniforms; it is about reclaiming governance, ecology, and human dignity in rural Nigeria.”
The logistics of deploying 130,000 personnel across 1,129 forest and game reserves are daunting. Each guard unit is expected to operate with local intelligence support, leveraging community networks to identify threats quickly. According to insiders, the personnel will undergo special training in forest navigation, counter-insurgency tactics, first aid, and environmental protection. They will also receive lessons on human rights and community engagement — a move aimed at preventing abuses that have marred previous security operations.
Ribadu revealed that the government is already working with the Nigerian Army, Air Force, Police, and Civil Defence Corps to provide operational support. Drones and aerial surveillance will play a central role, enabling real-time monitoring of forest activities and quick deployment of response teams. A command-and-control system is also being established at the National Counter-Terrorism Centre to coordinate operations nationwide.
Security experts believe this integrated approach could yield tangible results. Dr. Hassan Ibrahim, a security analyst at the Centre for Strategic Studies in Abuja, described the initiative as “a long-overdue recalibration of Nigeria’s internal security doctrine.” He noted that for decades, Nigeria’s defense strategy has been overly urban-focused, leaving rural areas vulnerable to organized crime. “Most of the violence in Nigeria begins in the forests,” he said. “Bandits move from the forests to the roads, from the roads to the villages, and from the villages to the cities. By cutting them off at the root, the government could disrupt the entire chain of criminal activity.”
However, Ibrahim also warned that the initiative’s success would depend on several factors — including sustained funding, professional oversight, and strong political will. “We have seen many well-intentioned programs fail because of poor coordination and corruption,” he said. “If the Forest Guards are not properly trained, equipped, and monitored, they could end up being another underfunded paramilitary unit that achieves little.”
These concerns are not unfounded. Nigeria’s history is littered with security experiments that began with high expectations but fizzled out. The Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) in Borno, for example, played a critical role in fighting Boko Haram but was later plagued by allegations of human rights violations and lack of accountability. Similarly, state-run vigilante groups in the Northwest have often clashed with regular security forces.
To address these pitfalls, Ribadu emphasized transparency and collaboration as guiding principles. “We are working closely with the state governors, traditional rulers, and local communities,” he said. “The Forest Guards will be accountable to both federal and state oversight structures. We want to ensure that this is a professional, disciplined, and community-oriented force.”
The NSA also stressed that the initiative was aligned with President Tinubu’s broader security and development agenda. “The President has made it clear that we cannot have economic growth without security,” Ribadu said. “The Forest Guards are part of a holistic approach that combines kinetic and non-kinetic strategies — force when necessary, but also dialogue, community engagement, and intelligence-driven prevention.”
The meeting, which continued over three days, served as a platform for representatives from all 36 states and the FCT to review Nigeria’s internal security challenges and propose solutions. Participants discussed issues ranging from border security to cybercrime, but the Forest Guards Initiative dominated the agenda. Several state security administrators expressed readiness to support the plan, noting that most rural violence in their regions stemmed from forest-based criminal gangs.
Governor Ahmed Ododo of Kogi State, whose state will feature prominently in the initial deployment phase, welcomed the move. “Kogi’s forests have been a corridor for kidnappers and smugglers for too long,” he said. “With this initiative, we can finally take control of our territory.” Similarly, Kebbi and Niger officials said their states had already begun mapping forest zones in preparation for deployment.
Beyond the immediate security benefits, the initiative could also have socio-economic implications. Rural communities, long abandoned by the state, may begin to see renewed government presence. Local youths recruited into the Forest Guards program could gain employment, while community-police relations may improve through trust-building exercises. Additionally, the protection of forest ecosystems could boost tourism, agriculture, and environmental sustainability.
But experts also caution that the scale of the project will test Nigeria’s bureaucratic and financial resilience. Maintaining 130,000 armed personnel will require enormous resources for salaries, logistics, and equipment. Ribadu’s office has reportedly begun working with the Ministry of Finance and international partners to secure sustainable funding mechanisms, possibly through a mix of national security allocations, ecological funds, and donor support.
As the meeting in Abuja drew to a close, the mood was one of guarded hope. For too long, Nigeria’s forests have been silent witnesses to unspeakable violence — the abductions of schoolchildren, the mass killings of villagers, and the secret training camps of armed groups. The Forest Guards Initiative represents a chance to change that narrative — to turn these spaces from zones of fear into sanctuaries of peace.
If successful, it will be one of the most significant security transformations in Nigeria’s modern history, comparable only to the creation of the Civil Defence Corps in the early 2000s. But success, as many have noted, will depend not just on guns or numbers, but on discipline, coordination, and trust between government and citizens.
As Ribadu concluded his remarks, his voice carried both determination and realism. “We know the road ahead will not be easy,” he said. “But this is a necessary step. We cannot allow our forests — our heritage — to remain under the control of criminals. This initiative is about reclaiming Nigeria, one forest at a time.”
With that, a new chapter in Nigeria’s long and difficult fight against insecurity began — one rooted in the dense, shadowed forests that have for too long defined the nation’s struggle for peace. The coming months will reveal whether this bold initiative can truly turn the tide — or whether it will become yet another unfulfilled promise in the country’s turbulent quest for safety and stability.
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