Governor Uba Sani says the new security outfit will strengthen intelligence gathering, reclaim forest hideouts and support security agencies across the state.
Kaduna State Government has graduated the first batch of 1,000 Armed Forest Guards as part of efforts to strengthen security and reclaim forests previously occupied by bandits and other criminal groups.
Speaking at the passing-out parade in Kaduna on Saturday, Governor Uba Sani described the initiative as a major milestone in the state’s fight against insecurity.
He said the newly trained guards would complement the operations of the Armed Forces and other security agencies by improving surveillance, intelligence gathering and rapid response in forested communities.
According to the governor, the Armed Forest Guards were established to tackle evolving security threats and deny criminal groups safe havens in Kaduna’s forests.
Sani noted that for years, large forest areas had been used as bases by bandits, kidnappers and cattle rustlers, resulting in the loss of lives, displacement of residents and disruption of farming activities.
He explained that the guards would work alongside the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and other security agencies, stressing that the outfit is designed to reinforce existing security structures.
The governor said the personnel’s familiarity with the local terrain would improve intelligence gathering and operational effectiveness.
Sani also highlighted progress recorded in the state’s security campaign, including the reopening of more than 125 schools previously shut due to insecurity, the return of farming and healthcare services in affected communities, and improved access to local government areas such as Birnin Gwari, Zangon Kataf, Giwa, Kauru, Kachia and Kajuru.
He appealed to the Federal Government to approve the recruitment of an additional 1,000 Forest Guards for Kaduna State and commended President Bola Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, for supporting the initiative.
The governor urged the graduates to discharge their duties with professionalism, discipline and respect for human rights, while calling on residents to support security efforts by providing credible intelligence.
Representing the National Security Adviser, Director of Internal Security, Sani Sani, said the Forest Guard initiative was introduced by President Tinubu in May 2025 to secure ungoverned forests, protect critical national assets and support conventional security agencies.
He disclosed that 1,101 personnel completed the two-month training programme, which covered weapons handling, combat readiness, physical fitness, civil-military cooperation and international humanitarian law, adding that deployment and salary payments would commence immediately.
Training Officer, Lieutenant Commander Sani Abdullahi of the Nigerian Navy, said the curriculum also included marksmanship, patrol and tracking, raid and ambush operations, combat first aid, communications and cordon-and-search procedures to prepare the guards for effective security operations.