About 7,000 newly recruited forest guards, drawn from seven frontline states, have graduated after completing a three-month intensive training programme.
President Bola Tinubu inaugurated the presidential forest guards project in May, and the new forest guards were trained as part of it.
The initiative, overseen by the office of the national security adviser (ONSA), is a federal and state security operation to recapture forest lands from criminal gangs.
The Nigerian Forest Guard is an inter-agency effort spearheaded by the NSA, backed by the federal ministry of environment, and operationally administered by the Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Park Service.
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ), Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Police Force (NPF), and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) all provide strategic and operational input to the initiative.
The graduation ceremonies were place on December 27 in Borno, Sokoto, Yobe, Adamawa, Niger, Kwara, and Kebbi states.
Speaking at the occasion, the NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, praised the endeavour as a significant step towards restoring state authority and protecting vulnerable areas.
Ribadu stated that the deployment of forest guards will begin immediately, with no gap between graduation and active duty.
“These forest guards are not just uniformed personnel,” he said.
“They are first responders, community protectors, and a critical layer of Nigeria’s security architecture, and they will hold ground, gather intelligence, and support security agencies in reclaiming territories previously overtaken by criminal elements.
“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.
“By protecting our forests, we are securing our territory, and by securing our territory, we are protecting our people.”
The NSA also stated that the federal government will continue and extend the effort countrywide.
He stated that the programme had a 98.2 percent completion rate, with 81 trainees expelled for disciplinary grounds and two dying from pre-existing medical issues.
The guards are native to the districts in which they will serve, which officials claim will improve trust, intelligence flow, and operational effectiveness.
According to a statement made by the Ministry of Information and National Orientation, the forest guards were recruited from their local government areas so that they could rely on local expertise and community confidence to combat banditry, abduction, and unlawful exploitation of natural resources.
Among those who attended the graduation ceremony were AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, governor of Kwara, and Mai Mala Buni, governor of Yobe.
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