Forest guards to be deployed immediately across communities — NSA Ribadu

Newly trained forest guards have been tasked with protecting Nigeria’s forests and safeguarding lives and property.

Speaking through Major General Hillary Mabeokwu at the graduation ceremony on Saturday at the Muhammadu Buhari Civic Centre in Lokoja, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, said the forest guards have a dual mandate of safeguarding the nation’s forests and strengthening security in communities vulnerable to criminal activities.

He announced that the personnel would be deployed immediately across various communities to enhance security and protect residents, urging the graduates to carry out their duties with professionalism, respect for human rights, gender sensitivity, and strict adherence to ethical standards and international law.

Ribadu stressed that the nation had placed its confidence in them, saying the establishment of the forest guard initiative demonstrated the Federal Government’s commitment to the safety and security of all Nigerians.

The NSA called on the graduating officers to serve with honesty, dedication and integrity, while commending the unwavering commitment of the military and paramilitary agencies whose collaboration ensured the successful training of the forest guards.

Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, in his speech, reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening security across the state with the graduation of the pioneer batch of the National Forest Guards, saying that no part of Kogi’s forests would be left as a refuge for criminal elements.

The governor said, “The graduation ceremony represented more than the completion of a training programme, it symbolized Kogi State’s determination to reinforce its security architecture and ensure that forests become centres of lawful economic activities rather than hideouts for criminals.”

Ododo commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for initiating and supporting the National Forest Guards programme, describing it as a landmark effort to strengthen community-based security across the country.