The Federal Government has begun the deployment of 7,000 newly trained forest guards to key northern states as part of renewed efforts to reclaim forests used by bandits and kidnappers as hideouts.

The deployment follows the graduation of the guards on December 27 after completing a three month intensive training programme under the Presidential Forest Guards Initiative. According to security officials, the exercise is aimed at strengthening control over vast forest areas that have long remained outside effective government presence.

The guards have been deployed across seven frontline states identified as security flashpoints. These include Borno, Sokoto, Yobe, Adamawa, Niger, Kwara and Kebbi states.

Immediate Deployment After Training

National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu confirmed that the deployment commenced immediately after the guards completed their training. According to him, there was no gap between graduation and assignment, underscoring the urgency of the operation.

Ribadu described the forest guards as an essential addition to the country’s security framework. He said they are expected to serve as first responders in forested areas, protect nearby communities and support conventional security agencies in intelligence gathering and rapid response.

According to him, securing forest corridors is critical to restoring peace, as criminal groups have increasingly relied on remote forests to plan attacks, store weapons and evade security forces.

Securing Hidden Spaces

Security analysts say Nigeria’s vast forest belts have posed a persistent challenge to law enforcement due to difficult terrain and limited manpower. Experts note that expanding surveillance and human presence in these areas could disrupt criminal networks and improve response times during attacks.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to sustaining the initiative and expanding it where necessary. Officials say the long term goal is to deny criminal groups access to ungoverned spaces while restoring public confidence in rural and border communities.

Residents in affected states are hopeful that the deployment will lead to improved security and reduced criminal activity, particularly in areas that have experienced repeated attacks.