The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced the graduation and immediate deployment of over 7,000 newly recruited Forest Guards across seven frontline states, as part of a major security push to reclaim forested areas from terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, and other criminal groups.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued by the Special Assistant (Media) to the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Rabiu Ibrahim, following the successful completion of a three-month intensive training programme under the Presidential Forest Guards Initiative, launched by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in May 2025.
According to the statement, the initiative represents a coordinated Federal–State security intervention designed to deny criminal elements sanctuary within Nigeria’s vast forest and hard-to-reach terrains.
Graduation ceremonies were held on 27 December 2025 across Borno, Sokoto, Yobe, Adamawa, Niger, Kwara, and Kebbi States, marking a significant milestone in efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s internal security architecture.
The Forest Guards underwent rigorous physical and mental conditioning, including endurance drills, obstacle-crossing exercises, and long-range patrol simulations tailored for sustained forest operations. Their training also covered tactical fieldcraft such as movement techniques, enemy-contact drills, ambush response, rescue operations, and coordinated offensive actions aimed at dismantling criminal networks operating within forest corridors.
In addition to combat readiness, the programme placed strong emphasis on ethics, legality, and professionalism. Trainees received extensive instruction on human rights, International Humanitarian Law (IHL), gender rights, and civilian protection. Arms handling and use-of-force procedures were strictly regulated under an Arms Management Manual jointly approved by all participating security agencies.
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Speaking at the graduation ceremonies, the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, described the initiative as a decisive step toward restoring state authority, securing Nigeria’s forests, and protecting vulnerable rural communities.
Ribadu confirmed that deployment would commence immediately, with no operational gap between graduation and active duty.
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Out of the total participants, the training programme recorded a 98.2 percent completion rate. Eighty-one trainees were disqualified on disciplinary grounds, while two trainees died due to pre-existing medical conditions. All successful graduates have been fully certified and cleared for operational service.
Notably, the graduating Forest Guards are indigenous to their respective local government areas, a strategy aimed at leveraging local terrain knowledge and community trust in combating banditry, kidnapping, and illegal exploitation of forest resources.
The Nigerian Forest Guard is an inter-agency national security initiative established under the leadership and strategic guidance of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Environment, and operationally coordinated by the Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Park Service. The programme also draws operational doctrine and strategic input from the Defence Headquarters, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Police Force, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to ensure unity of command and operational effectiveness.
Governors and Deputy Governors from the seven participating states attended the graduation ceremonies, including Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State and Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, while other states were represented by their Deputy Governors.
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