Tinubu approves armed forest guards to combat terrorism

By Samuel Ogunsona

President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of armed forest guards to secure Nigeria’s 1,129 forests from terrorists and criminal gangs.

Sources told Irohinoodua that the recruitment process for the Forest Guards will start soon.

At present, many forests in Southern and Middle Belt areas of Nigerian have been invaded by armed guards preventing farmers from their trade.

The President directed that the forest guards be well-trained and armed to carry out their primary duty of flushing out terrorists and other criminals hiding in the forests for illegal activities.

This initiative is a collaborative security effort between the federal and state governments, with the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Ministry of Environment tasked with overseeing and ensuring the full implementation of the program.

Thousands of young Nigerians are expected to be employed as personnel of the newly established outfit.

President Tinubu had earlier warned terrorists that his administration would not surrender an inch of the country’s territory to terrorists, bandits, and other criminal gangs operating inside the forests, vowing that Nigeria would take back its forests.

The president’s directive underscores his administration’s commitment to enhancing security and protecting the nation’s forest reserves.

In a related development, President Tinubu has approved N15 billion for flood mitigation and the strengthening of child protection laws, further demonstrating his administration’s focus on addressing pressing national issues.