By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini
In a major move to tackle the nation’s security challenges, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the establishment of the Forest Guards of Nigeria, a new security outfit tasked with flushing out terrorists and bandits from the country’s vast woodland areas.
The President has directed the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) to commence the immediate recruitment of personnel for the new force.
According to a statement by Sunday Dare, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, the guards will be assigned to secure 1,129 forests across the country.
The initiative is a collaborative effort between the federal and state governments.The President mandated that the forest guards be “well-trained and armed” to effectively carry out their primary duty of combating criminals who use the forests as hideouts for illegal activities.
The Office of the NSA and the Federal Ministry of Environment have been tasked with overseeing the full implementation of the initiative, which is expected to employ thousands of young Nigerians.
The establishment of the Forest Guards follows President Tinubu’s recent vow that his administration would not surrender any Nigerian territory to criminals, emphatically stating that the country “would take back its forests.”