Tinubu’s Forest Guards Initiative Takes Off as 7,000 Personnel Graduate
The Federal Government has completed the training and graduation of more than 7,000 newly recruited forest guards from seven frontline states, marking the operational takeoff of the Presidential Forest Guards Initiative. The graduation ceremonies were held on December 27, 2025, across Borno, Sokoto, Yobe, Adamawa, Niger, Kwara and Kebbi states, following the completion of a three-month intensive training programme. Launched in May 2025 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the initiative is aimed at strengthening internal security by denying terrorists, bandits and kidnappers access to forest corridors used as hideouts and operational bases. Each participating state was directed to recruit between 2,000 and 5,000 personnel under the programme. Although the scheme experienced a seven-month delay, the graduation of the recruits signals the commencement of forest guard operations across the affected regions. In a statement issued on Saturday by the Office of the National Security Adviser, the government said the training covered physical conditioning, patrol and tactical movement, ethics, legality and human rights, as well as arms handling and use-of-force procedures in line with an approved Arms Management Manual. Read Also: Multiple Casualties Reported in Zamfara Roadside Explosions End of an Era: Prominent Nigerians and Global Icons We Lost in 2025 Kano Patriotic Front Marks Anniversary, Reaffirms Development Agenda According to the statement, 98.2 per cent of the trainees successfully completed the programme, while 81 recruits were dismissed on disciplinary grounds. It also disclosed that two trainees died due to pre-existing medical conditions. “The training programme recorded a 98.2 per cent completion rate. A total of 81 trainees were disqualified on disciplinary grounds, while two trainees passed away due to pre-existing medical conditions. All successful participants have been fully certified and cleared for operational service,” the statement said. It added that the graduating forest guards are indigenous to their respective local government areas, a factor expected to enhance terrain familiarity, community trust and intelligence gathering in efforts to counter banditry, kidnapping and the illegal exploitation of forest resources. Speaking on deployment, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, said the guards would be posted to their duty locations immediately after graduation. He explained that the new personnel would work alongside existing security agencies to protect vulnerable communities and reclaim areas previously overtaken by criminal elements. “These Forest Guards are not just uniformed personnel. They are first responders, community protectors and a critical layer of Nigeria’s security architecture. They will hold ground, gather intelligence and support security agencies in reclaiming territories previously overtaken by criminal elements,” Ribadu said. He added that there would be no delay between graduation and deployment, noting that salaries and allowances would commence immediately. “By protecting our forests, we are securing our territory. And by securing our territory, we are protecting our people. The Federal Government will not relent,” he said, stressing that the initiative would be expanded nationwide. The programme is being implemented through collaboration involving the Federal Ministry of Environment, the Department of State Services, the National Park Service, as well as the armed forces, police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
