Over 7,000 members of the newly-created Nigerian Forest Guards graduate in seven states

OVER 7,000 members of the newly formed Nigerian Forest Guards graduated yesterday in seven states across the north of the country as plans to address the growing insecurity ravaging the nation gather pace.

At the moment, Nigeria is suffering from the effects of chronic insecurity as Boko Haram, the Islamic State of the West African Province (Iswap), armed bandits and kidnappers have turned large swathes of the north of the country into no-go areas. Last month, President Donald Trump declared that he has asked his generals to draw up plans regarding how to attack Nigeria in response to the incessant attacks on Christians by Islamic terrorists.

He accused the Nigerian government of not doing enough to address the situation, standing by as Christians were being massacred across the north of the country. On Christmas Day, the US Africa Command (Africom), carried out air strikes against Islamist militant camps in Sokoto and Zamfara states.

In what appears to be the stepping up of the provision of security, the Nigerian Forest Guard was launched by President Bola Tinubu in May. Now, the first batch of officers have competed their training and graduated from  training camps in Borno, Sokoto, Yobe, Adamawa, Niger, Kwara and Kebbi states.

According to the national security adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the officers completed a three month training programme. Some security experts have lauded President Tinubu’s plan saying their knowledge of forest terrains could significantly enhance the effectiveness of security operations.

These forest guards are indigenous to their respective local government areas, enabling them to leverage terrain familiarity and community trust in countering banditry, kidnapping and the illegal exploitation of forest resources. Mallam Ribadu, said they would guard Nigeria’s natural environment and also serve as a critical force multiplier in national security architecture, particularly in supporting the efforts of security agencies to checkmate perpetrators of insecurity.

He stated that the Nigerian Forest Guards is an inter-agency initiative established under his leadership and strategic guidance, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Environment. In addition, Mallam Ribadu noted that it was coordinated operationally by the Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Park Services.

“It draws strategic input, doctrine and operational alignment from the defence headquarters, the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Navy, the Nigeria Police Force and the National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). This synergy ensures unity of purpose, seamless command and control, as well as operational effectiveness,” Mallam Ribadu added.

In addition, Mallam Ribadu described the initiative as a decisive step toward restoring state authority and protecting vulnerable communities. He lauded the contributions of the training instructors and coordinators from the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Police, DSS, NSCDC, National Park Service, National Intelligence Agency and the governments of the seven pilot states.

According to Mallam Ribadu, the training programme was deliberately intensive, structured, and demanding, designed to transform loyal and committed Nigerians into agile, disciplined, and capable field operatives. Trainees underwent extensive physical and mental conditioning, including endurance exercises, obstacle-crossing drills and long-range patrol simulations to prepare them for sustained forest operations.

They were also trained in tactical field-craft, including movement techniques, enemy-contact drills, ambush response, rescue operations and coordinated offensive actions, equipping them to deny criminal elements any form of sanctuary within Nigeria’s forest spaces. Their training programme was said to have recorded a 98.2% completion rate.