The Federal Government has deployed 7,000 newly trained forest guards across seven pilot states to bolster security in areas affected by banditry, insurgency, and other criminal activities in ungoverned forest zones.
National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, announced the deployment on Saturday, 27 December 2025 in Yola, Adamawa State, during the graduation ceremony of the first batch of forest guards.
“We are fully aware of Nigerians’ concerns about insecurity across the country. Accordingly, the newly trained forest guards will be deployed immediately to all the beleaguered communities in the highlighted states, particularly around forested and ungoverned spaces,” he said.
The recruits completed a rigorous three-month training programme covering endurance drills, obstacle-crossing exercises, long-range patrol simulations, and intelligence-gathering techniques to prepare them for sustained operations in challenging terrain.
The forest guards will support existing security agencies, gather human intelligence, and help restore government presence in vulnerable areas.
The seven pilot states for the initial deployment are Adamawa, Borno, Kwara, Kebbi, Niger, Sokoto, and Yobe.
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Plans are underway to expand the programme nationwide as additional recruits complete training.
Launched in May 2025 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Presidential Forest Guards initiative is a joint federal and state effort designed to strengthen security across forested regions.
Ribadu confirmed that preparations are ongoing to train new batches in more states, ensuring rapid expansion and comprehensive national coverage.