Nigeria expands forest guard programme to combat banditry

President Bola Tinubu approved the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards to strengthen security in forested areas used by bandits. The federal initiative has prompted states such as Kebbi, Gombe, Kwara, Kaduna, Edo, Imo, Bayelsa, Anambra and others to scale up deployments. Kebbi deployed 819 newly trained guards, Kwara recruited about 3,300, and Gombe began training 700 recruits with a ₦337 million budget. State officials say the guards will patrol ungoverned forest corridors, gather intelligence and work alongside police and traditional leaders.

In Enugu, retired security expert Edwin Ugwuja warned that without modern equipment—"gadgets, drones, tracking devices, and good weapons"—the guards cannot effectively fight banditry. He criticized poor working conditions, low morale and the lack of political will to tackle the root causes of insecurity. Ugwuja called for better logistics and support to ensure the programme is proactive rather than merely reactive.