One year after launch: Where are the forest guards?
The recent abduction of school children, teachers and other Nigerians is raising questions about the role and efficiency of forest guards across the country. On May 15, 2025, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu launched the Presidential Forest Guards Initiative in response to the insecurity associated with forests in Nigeria. The initiative was birthed in February 2024, […]
The recent abduction of school children, teachers and other Nigerians is raising questions about the role and efficiency of forest guards across the country. On May 15, 2025, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu launched the Presidential Forest Guards Initiative in response to the insecurity associated with forests in Nigeria.
The initiative was birthed in February 2024, following a meeting between the president and state governors, with a directive for states to recruit between 2,000 and 5,000 guards.
The goal was to stop the activities of bandits, kidnappers and other illegal groups hiding in the forests and mountains that are hard to reach.
This renewed focus on the activities of the guards came on the heels of the current wave of kidnapping involving over 80 schoolchildren in Borno and Oyo states, as well as six students in Zamfara State.
Speaking on the recent incident when he led a delegation to Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo, where 46 school children and members of staff were abducted, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, who noted that President Tinubu inherited longstanding security challenges, announced the deployment of additional 1,000 forest guards to salvage the situation.
On December 27, 2025, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) graduated and deployed the first batch of over 7,000 newly recruited forest guards across Borno, Sokoto, Yobe, Adamawa, Niger, Kwara, and Kebbi states, which are the seven frontline states.
“There will be no delay between graduation and deployment. Salaries and allowances will commence immediately, and every certified guard will proceed directly to assigned duty posts.
“The forest guards are not merely individuals in uniform; they serve as first responders, community protectors and crucial elements of Nigeria’s security framework. Their role will be pivotal in ensuring safety, gathering intelligence and assisting other security agencies in reclaiming territories seized by criminals,” Ribadu told Nigerians at the graduation ceremony.
But Nigerians are questioning the whereabouts and operational efficacy of those who were already recruited and deployed after the president issued an order for more recruitment amidst worsening insecurity.
Operational structure lacks clarity
According to information from the Federal Ministry of Information website, the Nigerian Forest Guard is a national security under the strategic direction of the National Security Adviser, in close collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Environment. Operational coordination is managed by the Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Park Service.
Efforts to get an official comment from the ONSA on the current status of the initiative were not successful as the head of the Department of Strategic Communications in the National Counterterrorism Centre, Michael Abu, could not be reached. Similarly, an email sent to the official box of the DSS was yet to be replied at the time of filing this report.
But according to details from the Ministry of Information, the initiative integrates doctrines, operational strategies and strategic insights from the Defence Headquarters, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The guards are supposed to be well trained, well armed and would work with other security agencies.
The guards are also required to collaborate with the Nigerian Hunter and Forest Security Service (NHFSS), which is now renamed the Nigerian Forest Security Service (NFSS), so as to utilise the knowledge of local hunters who are well acquainted with local landscapes.
It was further stated that the protocol for handling arms and using force by the guards were developed and regulated by a comprehensive manual on Arms Management. This manual, created through collective effort, was approved by all the security agencies involved.
Current situation in states
Our correspondents in various states observed that despite the deployment of the first batch, there are conflicting reports about the current activities of the guards, which are yet to create an impact.
In Borno State, the personnel of the Forest Security Service said they were trained by the Office of the National Security Adviser and are waiting to be equipped and assigned areas of responsibility.
One of the personnel of the Service, who pleaded for anonymity, said they started receiving monthly allowances from the federal government five months ago through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
“We are now waiting for directives from the Office of the NSA on when and how to start our operations,” he said.
He revealed that they were already under the supervision of the Department of State Service and all communications were coming through them, adding, “We are prepared to work diligently.”
He revealed that, initially, they were a group of 1,700 hunters working under the supervision of the Nigerian military before the Office of the NSA enlisted 200 of them.
“We were asked to quickly send the details of our men. Unfortunately, we were only able to come up with 200 names out of 1,700 hunters due to the short notice. We were only given three hours,” he said.
Asked about their mode of operation, he said, “Before this new responsibility, we operated under the military as hunters. But we are yet to receive directives since we began to work under the NSA.”
He said the military had given them 10 operational motorcycles to protect farmers as the rainy season set in.
“But now, everything depends on the next directive from the Office of the NSA,” he said.
When contacted, the zonal commander of the Forest Security Service in charge of Borno and Yobe, Alhaji Adam Bulama, confirmed that the list of personnel under him was submitted to the NSA from the two states.
He also said the FSS personnel working under him had already started receiving uniforms and boots from the federal government.
“They have started providing us with full kits, uniforms and monthly allowances. I want to believe that very soon, we will get the fighting equipment too,” he noted.
He said there were 10 sectors designed to work in different parts of Borno State under his coordination.
“We were well trained waiting for directives from the NSA’s office in Borno and Yobe states,” he added.
Asked how prepared they are to work and synergise with other security agencies, he said, “It is not a new thing to us. We are the ones protecting the farmers in vulnerable communities and farmlands.
“Many farmers can’t access their fields without our protection. We were working closely with the military, but we have to inform them anytime we decide to go on a solo operation.”
In Yobe, Bulama said his deputy was in charge; and they are working closely with him.
He said that since Borno and Yobe shared boundaries, their operations needed to be coordinated for better results.
“The Yobe commander is my deputy; we are in close contact and would work closely in this operation,” he said.
In Benue State, recruits of the National Forest Guards still undergoing training
Our correspondent reports that the State Bureau of Homeland Security, which is the sole agency saddled with the responsibility of overseeing the process of short-listing candidates for screening and recruitment into the Nigerian Forest Guards in Benue State, has been facilitating the recruitment since last year.
The special adviser to the Benue governor on internal security, Chief Joseph Har, confirmed that the successful applicants were still in training.
Har, however, directed our correspondent to the Office of the Director-General of Homeland Security for further enquiries.
The director-general of the bureau, Air Commodore (retd) Jacob Gbamwuan, who didn’t respond to calls put through his telephone, had in December last year warned the public to beware of the activities of certain individuals fraudulently collecting money from unsuspecting members of the public under the guise of enlisting them into the National Forest Guards.
“Members of the public are hereby warned to desist from giving money to anyone claiming to facilitate recruitment into the Nigerian Forest Guards. Recruitment follows an official process,’ he had said.
Gbamwuan had assured that the bureau remained committed to transparency, due process and the security of the people of Benue State.
But when contacted, the state Ministry of Water, Environment and Climate Change denied knowledge of the exercise.
“We are not aware of any recruitment of forest guards,” Onum, the ministry’s information officer said.
Also, the ministry’s Director of Forestry, Comrade Enewa Onjeh, said they knew nothing about the exercise, and wondered whether the federal government had indeed carried out the recruitment.
Onjeh said the ministry was very interested in the recruitment, such that it earlier wrote a letter to the federal ministry seeking to be involved in the process.
She said that to the best of her knowledge, the ministry did not get any response to the letter, stressing that they did not have any idea about the exercise or whatever stage the recruits may be undergoing.
“None of them (recruits) was brought to us. We were not involved in the process and don’t know what is going on,” she said.
She, however, added that the ministry was in dire need of the forest guards, which was why the commissioner wrote to the apex ministry.
Meanwhile, the public relations officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Benue State command, Michael Ejelikwu, confirmed that the recruits were being trained using the command’s facility.
“We are not the ones training them, but they are using our facility. That’s all I know,” Ejelikwu said.
In Kebbi State, 819 recruited
Weekend Trust gathered that in Kebbi State, 819 men were recruited into the National Forest Guards. It was further gathered that after completing their three-month training on counter-banditry and insurgency, they were deployed to four local government areas of the state – Arewa, Danko Wasagu, Angie and Dandi – to curb the activities of bandits.
A top official of the state’s Ministry of Environment said the forest guards had been collaborating with the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police Force, the DSS and other security agencies to safeguard the people in the areas they were deployed to.
He said, “The state government recruited 500 of them to protect the forest and support security operations against banditry. They were inaugurated by the Ministry of Environment for environmental protection and rural security. They have since been deployed to the various areas where there are security challenges in the state to assist conventional security personnel who are on the ground.
“The government provided them with motorcycles, uniforms, communication gadgets and allowances to enhance their operations in the areas they were deployed to.”
But in contrast, another official said that since the deployment of the forest guards to some of the areas in the state to confront the security challenges, nothing much had been heard about them.
“Some of these guards are today working as security guards at some of the government agencies and ministries. They are not fully utilised for the purposes for which they were recruited. I have seen a handful of them stationed at some government agencies and the cabinet office instead of being in the forest,” he alleged.
He added that the forest guards were expected to work closely with the conventional security agencies to patrol reserves and protect the people in the rural areas against banditry and other security challenges.
100 deployed in Kano
Our correspondent in Kano also said the state government had in September last year deployed the 100 newly recruited forest guards to their duty posts to combat deforestation, desertification and climate change impacts.
The state Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Dr Dahir Hashim, said the forest guards would focus mainly on protecting forest reserves from illegal logging and other harmful practices.
The government provided the guards with training and equipment, as well as regular payment of allowances to ensure that they work effectively.
A hotline was also provided to allow them report cases of deforestation quickly, while collaborating with traditional rulers and host communities to enforce environmental laws effectively.
“We avoided transferring people outside their communities. Each forest guard will work within his own local government. And we believe this would strengthen their commitment to protecting their immediate environment,” the commissioner said.
Commenting on the status of the guards, the public relations officer of the ministry, which name has been changed to Ministry of Water Resources, Environment and Climate Change, Maryam Abdullahi, said all forest guards employed by the ministry had been deployed to their duty posts in various forest reserves in the state like Falgore forest located on the southern border between Kano, Kaduna and Bauchi states and Dansoshiya forest in Kiru Local Government.
“They were all posted to their various designated duty posts across the state forest reserves,” Abdullahi said.
An employee of the ministry who has been deployed elsewhere and who craved anonymity said that while he was in the ministry, when the idea of recruiting forest guards was mooted, there were just about 30 forest guards, most of who were not regularly at their place of primary assignment.
He said the guards had complained of non-regular payment of their allowance, which the ministry decided to address and recruit more guards to protect many forests in the state, including the one in the Makoda Local Government Area.
Falgore forest, a 1,000 square kilometres forest used to be a den of banditry, cattle rustling and organised crimes, hosting criminal gangs terrorising travellers and residents of Tudunwada and Doguwa local government areas.
Weekend Trust learnt that the state government responded to the criminal activities in the forest by converting parts of the forest into a military training facility to tame the wave of criminality in the area.
But a pastoralist at Dansoshiya forest, Moji Mamman, told our correspondent that only men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps were seen at the forest regularly.
“Here at Dansoshiya, we only see the NSCDC regularly; I don’t know about other places. I have not personally seen any forest guard.
“I know that some NSCDC men come from Kwanar Dangora, but I don’t have much information about them; maybe because we don’t have cases of people cutting down trees indiscriminately in Dansoshiya,” the pastoralist said.
The Kano State Government, under the state Agro-Pastoral Development Project (KSADP), had invested over N2.5 billion in Dansoshiya forest to transform it into a grazing area equipped with a milk collection centre, an earth dam, a 25- kilometre perimeter fence and a clinic.
Kwara
As kidnapping, banditry attacks and violent crimes continue to unsettle parts of Kwara State, particularly in its northern and southern axis, the state’s forest guard initiative emerged as one of government’s most ambitious community-based security interventions.
Introduced to strengthen surveillance in forests and rural communities, the initiative was designed to complement the efforts of the military, police, vigilantes and local hunters in combating criminal groups that exploit difficult terrains as operational bases.
Over the years, the Kwara State Government has repeatedly expanded the programme.
Government officials disclosed that more than 700 forest guards were already operating in vulnerable communities before the state recruited and trained another batch of 1,000 operatives.
As insecurity persisted, approval was later granted for the recruitment of an additional 2,600 guards to reinforce security presence across the state’s forest corridors.
The guards were deployed mainly to security flashpoints in Kaiama, Edu, Patigi, Ifelodun and Ekiti local government areas, where residents have repeatedly faced threats from kidnappers and armed groups.
Weekend Trust gathered that Kwara’s forest guards are actively engaged in field operations.
They participate in surveillance missions, intelligence gathering and joint operations alongside conventional security agencies.
The initiative has, however, recorded a high human cost. The deadliest known incident occurred in September 2025 when armed attackers stormed Oke-Ode in Ifelodun Local Government Area, killing at least 12 forest guards and vigilantes and injuring four others.
The attack exposed the dangers faced by operatives, who often confront heavily armed criminal elements in remote communities and forests.
In one separate case reported in Koro, Ekiti Local Government Area, Commissioner of Police Adekimi Ojo said operatives had acted on intelligence about suspected gunmen in a forest, and during the ensuing confrontation, a forest guard was killed in what he described as a “friendly fire” situation rather than a direct bandit ambush.
Weekend Trust reports that aside the Oke-Ode attack and isolated operational incidents, there have also been reports of forest guards and community security volunteers losing their lives during anti-kidnapping operations in different parts of the state.
Weekend Trust also reports that despite the growing recorded casualty figures, the exact number of operatives killed since the initiative began remains unclear. What is evident, however, is that the state government has repeatedly responded with financial support to the families of fallen operatives.
In one of the largest interventions, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq approved and presented N180 million to families of slain forest guards, vigilantes and community fighters killed in security operations across Oke-Ode, Babanla, Eleyin, Edu and Patigi.
Reports indicated that affected families received N10 million each in recognition of the sacrifices made by their loved ones.
Months later, the governor again approved a separate N10 million support package for the family of a forest guard, Omotosho Samuel, who was killed while participating in an operation against suspected kidnappers in Koro, Ekiti Local Government Area.
The incidents highlight a troubling reality as forest guards continue to lose their lives in the line of duty after undergoing training in army barracks in Ilọrin for several months before their eventual deployment.
Despite the expansion of the programme and the compensation packages announced overtime, several questions remain unanswered.
There is currently no publicly available casualty register showing how many forest guards have been killed, injured or incapacitated since the initiative was launched.
The absence of such records makes it difficult for the public to independently assess the effectiveness of a programme into which significant resources have been invested.
Katsina, 70 redeployed across LGs
In Katsina, the state government approved the recruitment of 70 forest guards on Grade Level 01, who were deployed across affected local government areas under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development.
Sources revealed that in January 2026, the state government announced that the guards had completed their orientation and had been deployed to strengthen surveillance across forest reserves and stock routes.
During the launch of the initiative, Governor Dikko Umaru Radda, said it was designed to address both environmental and governance issues by re-establishing government presence in forests and protecting public lands.
According to a security expert and proprietor of Eagle Spec Securities, Mamman Ilyasu, the initiative is indeed vital. He added that it’s also important to note that the guards may confront several challenges, such as vast and difficult terrain, encroachment by farmers and settlers, as well as limited manpower relative to the size of forest reserves and possible security threats from armed criminal groups operating in some forest areas.
However, sources revealed that the persistent challenges of banditry and kidnapping have slowed some of government’s efforts to effectively protect forest resources and tackle environmental crimes in remote areas through the deployment of the forest guards.
500 selected for recruitment in Edo
In Edo, the Commissioner for Public Safety, Festus Ebea, said that before the federal government announced the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards in Oyo State, the state government had already commenced the process of recruiting 500 forest guards.
Ebea said, “We have done the selection for the recruitment of 500 forest guards, sent the list to the Office of the National Security Adviser for approval and they have sent it back to us.”
He said they had also sent the list of the selected applicants to the DSS in Edo for profiling to ensure that only persons without questionable characters were recruited into the forest guard.
According to him, the selected applicants have also undergone a medical fitness test to ascertain their fitness before going for proper training.
He said the training for the successful applicants was expected to commence on Friday, May 4, 2026, in Benin City.
“Those who have finished with the DSS have done medical fitness tests at the state specialist hospital to ascertain their fitness for the job,” he said.
He explained that those who failed the test would not be recruited at the end of the exercise.
“So, 500 forest guards would be recruited to man our forests at the end of the exercise,” he said.
In Niger, some of the forest guards said they had not been equipped with the right weapons to fight terrorists and bandits.
One of the guards who spoke with Weekend Trust on condition of anonymity said they still used locally made guns to confront terrorists, who are armed with sophisticated weapons.
“There is no way we can fight terrorism and kidnapping without being equipped with sophisticated weapons. We have been the target of terrorists, so we cannot move freely. And we don’t have sophisticated weapons. Sometimes we don’t move around with even our locally made guns for fear of being killed.
“We are appealing to the government to equip us with good weapons. Many of my colleagues have died. Some were kidnapped. We haven’t known their whereabouts for several months now. Whether they are alive or dead, we don’t know. Our major challenge is good rifles. Each time we see these people, they are always with sophisticated weapons,” he said.
Another guard who preferred to remain anonymous lamented that they were being paid N75,000, which he said is a flat rate regardless of one’s qualifications.
No visibility in Taraba
Farming activities have started across the 16 local government areas in Taraba State, but the forest guards trained by the state government to provide security in rural communities are yet to be sighted in farming communities, findings by Weekend Trust revealed.
It was gathered that in some areas, few of the trained forest guards were stationed inside the towns, not in the forest.
Dauda Rabiu in Garba Chede town, Bali Local Government Area, told Weekend Trust that he saw only one forest guard in the town, and that in few instances, the guard patrols a forest called Dajin Gwamna.
He said there was a time the forest guards came in their patrol vehicle and went into the Dajin Gwamna, but since then, they have not come back.
“There is no presence of forest guards in our farming communities even though farming activities have started,” Rabiu said.
Muhammadu Serti in the Gashaka Local Government Area of the state told our correspondent that the forest guards were yet to be deployed to the area. He said Gashaka Local Government Area had vast forests covering several kilometers but the guards were yet to be seen.
In Gassol Local Government Area, Mallam Tanko Saidu also told Weekend Trust that some indigenes were trained as forest guards but they are yet to be seen in any part of the area.
According to Serti, information available to him suggests that the trained guards have not started getting their salaries, which may be the reason for their non-deployment.
Similarly, Mr Samuel Felix in the Karim-Lamdo Local Government Area said they had not seen any guard on duty there.
He said he was aware that the state government had trained many young people as forest guards but their services had not been felt yet.
The Commissioner for Environment, Hajiya Aisha Barde, could not be reached for comment as she did not answer calls or reply to text messages from our correspondent on the issue.
Nothing yet in Nasarawa
The Nasarawa State Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Margaret Itake Elayo, said the state was collaborating with federal authorities on the implementation of the federal government’s Forest Guard Initiative, describing it as a “strategic security intervention.”
In a written response to Weekend Trust’s enquiry, the commissioner stated that the initiative was aimed at enhancing surveillance and security within forest reserves and other vulnerable locations across the country.
“The personnel engaged under the initiative are expected to be deployed to critical forest corridors, forest reserves and other identified areas requiring enhanced monitoring and protection in the state.
“For operational and security reasons, details regarding specific deployments and locations are not usually disclosed to the public,” Elayo stated.
She added that the Nasarawa State Government remained committed to supporting lawful efforts to secure forests, protect natural resources, curb illegal mining and logging, and enhance the safety of communities around forested areas.
On the status of recruitment and existing personnel, Elayo said the programme was being implemented in phases across the country and that consultations on operationalisation were already ongoing before President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent announcement of additional recruitment.
“Nasarawa State has consistently demonstrated its readiness to collaborate with the federal government and security agencies in the implementation of the initiative. The state remains committed to providing the necessary support required for successful recruitment, training and deployment whenever additional quotas or directives are communicated,” she said.
The commissioner described the presidential directive to recruit additional forest guards as “a welcome development that will further strengthen ongoing efforts to improve security within forest areas and deny criminal elements safe havens within our forests and natural resource corridors.”
‘How to make forest guards succeed’
A security expert and proprietor of Eagle Spec Securities, Mamman Ilyasu, said the initiative was indeed very vital and necessary, adding that it is also important to note that the guards may confront several challenges, such as vast and difficult terrain, limited manpower relative to the size of forest reserves and possible security threats from armed criminal groups operating in some forest areas.
He explained that the success of the newly recruited forest guards in Katsina State would depend not only on recruitment but also on proper training, equipment, welfare and coordination with security agencies. He added that forest guards should undergo intensive training in bush and forest operations, intelligence gathering, surveillance and reconnaissance, human rights and community relations, as well as first aid and emergency response.
He insisted that forest guards should work closely with the police, military, DSS, NSCDC and other security agencies for effective results.
Ilyasu stressed that for forest guards to succeed, recruitment must be followed by sustained investment in training, equipment, welfare, intelligence gathering and inter-agency collaboration.
However, sources revealed that the persistent challenges of banditry and kidnapping had slowed some of the government’s efforts to effectively protect forest resources and tackle environmental crimes in remote areas through the deployment of the forest guards.
Another security expert, a retired senior officer of the Department of State Services (DSS), Orgem Angulum, stressed the need for an urgent directive to be given to the conventional security operatives to rescue kidnapped victims across the country.
Angulum said that while the idea of recruiting more personnel into the National Forest Guards remained a noble cause, there must be an urgent action to free victims from bondage.
“Indeed, recruiting more hands for the forest guards is not a bad idea. But while waiting for their training, a core action plan must be in place. Something should be done urgently to rescue the abducted people.
“We have the conventional security; they should be given a directive on what to do at the moment to rescue the victims of kidnapping. We can’t keep waiting for forest guards, they won’t come from heaven,” the security expert said.