President Bola Tinubu has given the green light for the creation of a national forest guard force, a bold move aimed at combating insecurity and reclaiming Nigeria’s forests from terrorists, bandits, and other criminal elements.
The initiative, announced on Wednesday by presidential spokesperson Sunday Dare, will see the immediate recruitment and deployment of forest guards across Nigeria’s 1,129 forests.
“These forest guards will be well-trained, fully armed, and tasked with flushing out criminals who use our forests as safe havens for their violent operations,” Dare said.
He emphasized that the project is a collaborative security effort between the federal and state governments, with the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Ministry of Environment directed to spearhead its implementation.
The initiative is expected to provide thousands of jobs for young Nigerians while strengthening national security.
President Tinubu has consistently pledged to protect Nigeria’s territorial integrity. Reaffirming his commitment, he stated, “We will not cede an inch of our land to criminals. Nigeria will take back its forests.”
