Two months after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the establishment and deployment of armed forest guards to protect Nigeria’s vast forests from terrorists and criminal gangs, there is still no sign of implementation.
The decision, hailed in May 2025 as a bold step towards curbing the worsening insecurity in Nigeria’s forests, has yet to move beyond paperwork — raising serious concerns among security experts, environmental stakeholders, and rural communities who hoped the initiative would offer a much-needed layer of protection.
Nigeria has over 1,129 forests, many of which have become safe havens for bandits, kidnappers, and insurgents particularly in the North West, North Central, and parts of the South. In approving the forest guard system, President Tinubu directed the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Environment to oversee recruitment, training, and deployment.
However, two months later, there is still no official timeline, no recruitment exercise, and no known operational blueprint for the forest guards, leading to mounting frustration from communities most affected by forest-based criminal activity.
A Presidential Order, Frozen in Transition?
Sources within the security architecture hinted at bureaucratic delays and lack of inter-agency coordination as major stumbling blocks. A senior official at the Ministry of Environment, who requested anonymity, said:
“The President has given the green light, but we’re yet to get clear guidelines from the NSA’s office on logistics, weapons clearance, and command structure.”
Insecurity experts believe that delay in implementation undermines the urgency of the security threat the guards are meant to address.
“The forests are not waiting. Criminals are expanding their networks daily. Every day of delay puts more lives at risk,” said Dr. Kabiru Ahmed, a security analyst and former DSS operative.
Communities Left in the Cold
In states like Zamfara, Niger, Taraba, and parts of Kaduna, where large forest belts have become hotbeds of kidnapping and cattle rustling, local vigilantes say they are overwhelmed and under-equipped. Many had hoped that the federal forest guard scheme would bolster their efforts.
“We heard it on the radio that President Tinubu approved armed forest guards. But since then, we haven’t seen any government presence in our area,” said Aliyu Yusuf, a community leader in Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State.
The Nigerian Forest Guards, when fully operational, are expected to conduct armed patrols, monitor illegal logging and poaching, and serve as a frontline defense against forest-based threats — essentially bridging the gap between conventional security forces and environmental protection.
What Next?
With rising insecurity across Nigeria’s hinterlands and forest corridors, citizens and stakeholders are calling for swift action.
Security insiders say the success of the forest guards will depend on more than just recruitment. Training, coordination with existing security agencies, sustainable funding, and clear rules of engagement will be crucial to avoid repeating the inefficiencies seen in past security outfits.
Until then, Nigeria’s forests — and the people who live near them — remain dangerously exposed.
