The Federal Government, through the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), has graduated over 7,000 newly recruited Forest Guards from seven frontline states to strengthen security and protect Nigeria’s forests from criminal exploitation.

The development followed successful completion of a three-month intensive training programme under the Presidential Forests Guards Initiative launched by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in May, 2025.

The deployment was contained in a statement on Saturday by Rabiu Ibrahim, Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.

According to the statement shared on the Ministry’s X handle, the programme was designed to “strengthen Nigeria’s internal security architecture by denying terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, and other criminal groups sanctuary within forested and hard-to-reach terrains.”

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The graduation ceremonies, held on Saturday, 27 December 2025, took place in Borno, Sokoto, Yobe, Adamawa, Niger, Kwara, and Kebbi States.

Speaking at the ceremonies, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, described the initiative as a decisive step toward restoring state authority and protecting vulnerable communities.

He said, “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.”

The training programme integrated environmental conservation principles with advanced security competencies. Trainees underwent rigorous physical and mental conditioning, including endurance exercises, obstacle-crossing drills, long-range patrol simulations, and tactical fieldcraft.

They were also trained in ambush response, rescue operations, and coordinated offensive actions to deny criminal groups sanctuary within forested areas.

The NSA confirmed that the deployment would commence immediately, noting that all certified guards would proceed directly to their duty posts.

“There will be no delay between graduation and deployment. Salaries and allowances will commence immediately, and every certified guard will proceed directly to assigned duty posts.”

The programme recorded a 98.2 percent completion rate, with 81 trainees disqualified on disciplinary grounds and two deaths due to pre-existing medical conditions.

The statement further added that successful participants who have been duly certified and cleared for operational service are expected to leverage terrain knowledge and community trust to combat banditry, kidnapping, and illegal forest exploitation.

The Nigerian Forest Guard is an inter-agency initiative coordinated by the Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Park Service, with operational input from the Defence Headquarters, Nigerian Army, Navy, Police Force, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

Reaffirming the government’s commitment, Ribadu noted, “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. This initiative will expand nationwide as part of our sustained effort to build a safer and more secure Nigeria.”

Governors and Deputy Governors from the seven participating states attended the ceremonies.