Nigeria Deploys 7,000 Forest Guards

The Nigeria, through the Nigeria — Office of the National Security Adviser, has graduated and immediately deployed over 7,000 newly recruited Forest Guards from seven frontline states (Nigeria — Borno State, Nigeria — Sokoto State, Nigeria — Yobe State, Nigeria — Adamawa State, Nigeria — Niger State, Nigeria — Kwara State, and Nigeria — Kebbi State). This follows a rigorous three-month training under the Presidential Forest Guards Initiative, launched by President Bola Tinubu in May 2025. The initiative, described by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu as a decisive step, aims to reclaim Nigeria's forests from criminal exploitation, denying terrorists, bandits, and kidnappers sanctuary. The Forest Guards, indigenous to their local government areas, will hold ground, gather intelligence, and support other security agencies. The program, which recorded a 98.2% completion rate, is an inter-agency effort involving the Nigeria — Federal Ministry of Interior (Nigeria), United States — United States Department of State, United States — National Park Service, Nigeria — Defence Headquarters, Nigeria — Nigerian Army, Nigeria — Nigerian Navy, Nigeria — Nigeria Police Force, and Nigeria — Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. The Nigeria has also recently designated kidnappers and violent armed groups as terrorists, signaling a comprehensive approach to national security.