FG begins recruitment of armed forest guards to secure 1,129 reserves

By Kunle Sanni

The Federal Government has commenced the recruitment of forest guards to secure Nigeria’s 1,129 forests from terrorists, bandits, and other criminal elements.

This was disclosed by Sunday Dare in a post on his official X account.

According to Dare, President Bola Tinubu approved the creation of the forest guard unit as part of a coordinated effort between the federal and state governments.

The guards will be well-trained and armed, with a core mandate to flush out criminal gangs operating in the forests.

Dare added that the president has directed the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Ministry of Environment to oversee the full implementation of the initiative.

He said thousands of young Nigerians are expected to be recruited under the programme.

President Tinubu has previously declared that his administration will not cede any part of Nigerian territory to criminal groups and vowed to reclaim forested areas under threat.