Forest Guards

President Tinubu authorizes armed forest guards to counter kidnappings, banditry and illegal mining as Nigeria decentralizes security nationwide now.

Nigeria’s government has approved the arming of forest guards nationwide, a significant change in the country’s internal security strategy as authorities intensify efforts to curb banditry, kidnapping, and illegal mining in remote areas.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced the decision during a Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja, citing persistent insecurity across several regions and the growing use of forests as operational bases by criminal groups. The move marks a clear expansion of the role of forest guards, who have traditionally …