The Federal Government has graduated over 7,000 Forest Guards under the Presidential Forest Guards Initiative, coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), to strengthen security in Nigeria’s forests and deny criminals safe havens.
The guards, drawn from Borno, Sokoto, Yobe, Adamawa, Niger, Kwara and Kebbi states, completed an intensive three-month training programme and were formally graduated on December 27, 2025.
Speaking at the ceremonies, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu said deployment would begin immediately, with salaries and allowances commencing without delay. He described the guards as a critical layer of Nigeria’s security architecture, tasked with intelligence gathering, territorial control, and community protection.
The training covered tactical field operations, endurance conditioning, arms handling, and human rights compliance. Out of all trainees, 98.2 per cent completed the programme, while 81 were disqualified on disciplinary grounds.
The Forest Guards, who are indigenous to their local areas, will work with existing security agencies to combat banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, and illegal exploitation of forest resources. The Federal Government says the initiative will be expanded nationwide as part of its efforts to enhance internal security.
