Ola Akinwunmi
In a decisive response to escalating security threats, President Bola Tinubu has approved the creation of a specialized armed unit to secure Nigeria’s vast forestlands, signaling a major escalation in the government’s fight against terrorism and banditry. The initiative, announced Wednesday by Presidential spokesperson Sunday Dare, aims to deploy thousands of federally trained “forest guards” across the country’s 1,129 forests to dismantle terrorist hideouts and criminal networks.
The newly established force will undergo rigorous training and be equipped with firearms to confront armed groups operating in remote woodland areas, which have long served as bases for kidnappings, attacks, and illicit activities. Dare emphasized that the recruitment and deployment will be a joint effort between federal and state governments, with oversight from the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Federal Ministry of Environment.
“President Tinubu has made it clear: Nigeria will not cede a single inch of its territory to terrorists, bandits, or criminal elements,” Dare stated. “This initiative is about reclaiming our forests and restoring security for all Nigerians.”
The move follows repeated warnings from Tinubu, who has vowed to adopt a “zero-tolerance” approach to insurgency since taking office in 2023. Forests in regions such as the Northeast, Northwest, and North-Central have become hotspots for groups including Boko Haram, ISIS-affiliated militants, and armed bandits, whose activities have displaced communities and crippled rural economies.
The forest guard program is also poised to tackle unemployment, with “thousands of young Nigerians” expected to join its ranks. While specifics on recruitment timelines and operational zones remain undisclosed, Dare confirmed that the NSA and Environment Ministry would oversee the unit’s rollout, including intelligence coordination and ecological preservation efforts.
Security analysts have cautiously welcomed the plan but stress that success hinges on interagency collaboration and sustained funding. Previous state-level forest guard initiatives, such as those in Zamfara and Ondo, faced challenges including inadequate resources and infiltration by criminal informants.
President Tinubu’s administration has framed the strategy as a cornerstone of its broader security overhaul, which includes modernizing the military and enhancing regional partnerships. As the directive moves into implementation, all eyes will be on its execution—and whether it can turn the tide in Nigeria’s protracted battle against woodland insurgency.
