….Thousands to be hired, trained, equipped

…..CDS: we’re deploying fresh strategies

The Federal Government is set to take the battle against terrorists and bandits to the forests.

The plan is to reclaim vast forestlands from criminal elements.

There are 1,129 documented forests.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the establishment and deployment of forest guards.

The initiative, according to Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Mr. Sunday Dare, is intended to flush out terrorists and criminal gangs who have used forests as havens.

Dare, in a post on his verified X handle, @SundayDareSD, said the recruitment drive will be carried out by the federal and state governments.

The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Ministry of Environment will provide oversight, he said.

According to him, the President directed that the forest guards be professionally trained and properly armed to meet the security challenges within the country’s forests, many of which have been exploited by kidnappers, bandits, and insurgents in recent years.

President Tinubu, Dare added, reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to securing every inch of Nigerian territory, declaring that no part of the country would be abandoned to lawlessness.

“To secure the country’s forests, President Tinubu has approved the establishment of forest guards to secure Nigeria’s 1,129 forests.

“Thousands of young Nigerians are expected to be employed for the initiative.

“President Tinubu reiterated that his administration will not surrender any part of Nigeria’s territory to criminals, vowing to take back the forests,” the statement said.

This latest security initiative is part of the Tinubu Administration’s broader strategy to address the root causes of insecurity while simultaneously providing employment opportunities.

The recruitment process is expected to begin soon, with details on application and training to be jointly released by the supervising agencies, it was learnt.

The initiative, described as laudable, is also seen as a way of complementing existing security operations and environmental protection strategies.

The Northern Christian Youth Professionals (NCYP) hailed the initiative, describing it as a bold step towards ending the insecurity ravaging forested regions, according to a statement by its Chairman, Isaac Abrak.

It cautioned against the politicisation of the guards’ recruitment.

Also, the Arewa Think Tank (ATT) said it was hopeful that the forest guards would boost security.

In a statement by its Convener, Muhammad Alhaji Yakubu, it said: “We must say with the air of pride and satisfaction that we now have a President who is very close to the people, who does not detach himself from the people he is governing, who is feeling the pulse of the nation and providing remedy to it.

“We must also say that this move by Mr. President is very unprecedented and creative. We urge him to keep it up for the benefit of the people.

“We advise that the recruitment of these guards should be a collaborative security effort between the federal and state governments.”

Country Director/Principal Representative of German Initiative for Knowledge Transfer in Nigeria, Obinna Ichita, believes the forest guards will help to curb escalating insecurity across Nigeria.

Ichita, the 2023 deputy governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Abia, said that by this move, the President had further demonstrated a genuine interest in swiftly addressing the security challenges.

He is hopeful that the forest guards will flush out those suspected foreign elements and their local collaborators, who hide in forests across the country to kidnap and kill innocent people.

Yesterday, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, said the renewed threats by Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) should not be a cause of great concern.

Boko Haram and ISWAP have launched attacks on some military formations and communities in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states in the Northeast.

General Musa led other security chiefs on an assessment visit to the Theatre Command North East ‘Operation Hadin Kai’.

He visited Giwa Barracks in Maiduguri, where multiple explosions occurred at the Armoury due to heat waves.

The CDS told reporters: “The pockets of renewed attacks should not be a cause of concern as the Nigerian Military and other security agencies are on top of the situation.

“Security is not a one-man business. Let me appeal to all and sundry to key into the fight against Boko Haram/ISWAP, banditry, kidnapping and all other forms of criminality for peace and development of our dear country.

“The Federal Government under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is very much committed to bringing lasting peace and development in all nooks and crannies.

“What we are witnessing here is an eclipse caused by pressure on terrorists in the Sahel region, forcing them to increase attacks in Nigeria, especially around the porous borders of the Lake Chad Basin.

“We are working diligently to address these challenges.

“During my recent trip to Russia, Nigeria maintained a non-aligned stance but engaged with key stakeholders ready to partner with us in this fight.

“We have procured more sophisticated weapons which will soon be deployed alongside new strategies to end the madness of terrorism.”