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In a decisive push to reclaim Nigeria’s troubled hinterlands, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, to immediately scale up the training and arming of additional forest guards—marking one of the most aggressive security measures yet under his administration.
The President, speaking with a tone that underscored the urgency of the moment, warned that the nation could no longer tolerate criminal groups exploiting its vast forests as sanctuaries.
“We face challenges here and there of kidnapping and terrorism. We need all the forces we can utilize. We need to protect our people,” Tinubu said, emphasizing that Nigeria must now match the audacity of insurgents with equal determination.
The fresh directive builds on earlier approvals establishing a national forest security service, designed to seal off the dense, unmanned terrains that have long enabled bandits and terrorists to evade conventional security operations. Under the new order, forest guards will undergo intensified training and receive modern weaponry to ensure they can confront threats head-on.
Security analysts say the move signals a shift toward localized, terrain-focused operations—especially as rural communities remain the hardest hit by abductions, armed raids, and terror attacks.
The Presidency recently declared a national security emergency and pushed for expanded recruitment across security formations. Now, with the NSA’s office coordinating swift implementation, the government hopes the strengthened forest guard force will deny criminals safe havens and restore confidence across Nigeria’s vulnerable regions.
As the directive takes effect, Nigerians await visible changes on the ground—particularly in states where kidnapping and terrorism continue to disrupt daily life. The message from Aso Rock, however, is unambiguous: the forests will no longer belong to outlaws.
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