AWC Analytical Desk | Abuja
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent directive ordering the immediate deployment of trained forest guards and the urgent recruitment of additional personnel to clear terrorists, bandits, and violent criminal networks from Nigeria’s forests has opened a new chapter in the nation’s internal security architecture.
With the Nigerian Forest Security Service (NFSS) Bill now passed by the National Assembly, Nigeria is at the threshold of establishing—for the first time—a statutory, specialised national forest security force dedicated exclusively to policing the nation’s vast, ungoverned forest spaces.
These two developments—the presidential directive and the legislative approval for the NFSS—have the potential to transform internal security operations if executed with precision, strategic coordination, and institutional discipline.
The agency at the centre of this transformation is the Department of State Services (DSS) that has been directed by the President to act in line with the recent declaration of state of emergency on security in Nigeria.
Why Forest Guards Matter Now More Than Ever
Over 70% of banditry, kidnappings, cattle rustling, illegal mining, and rural terrorism in Nigeria occur in forested corridors that have, for years, served as criminal sanctuaries extending across state borders.
From:
- Sambisa
- Birnin Gwari
- Kamuku
- Kainji
- Rugu
- Gwagwa–Bwari–Kaduna corridor
- Shiroro–Munya forests
- Ogbon–Okigwe–Mbano belt
criminals exploit the gaps in woodland surveillance to plan, regroup, and launch attacks.
The President’s directive marks the first aggressive national policy focused squarely on forest dominance operations.
What Tinubu Ordered — and Its Implications
The presidential directive contained the following core orders:
1. Immediate deployment of all trained forest guards across Nigeria.
The NFS S already has a cadre of trained personnel in forest operations; these must now be mobilised without bureaucracy or delay.
2. Immediate recruitment of new forest guards.
The new NFSS legislation establishes the legal foundation for systematic recruitment.
3. Strong inter-agency coordination.
Forest guards will not work alone but must collaborate with:
- Nigerian Army
- Nigerian Air Force (ISR and air strikes)
- Police Anti-Kidnapping Units
- NSCDC
- State Vigilante Corps
- Ministry of Environment & Forestry Departments
4. A full-spectrum intelligence and kinetic approach
Forest policing must shift from occasional raids to permanent forest occupation. It is the NFSS that can actualize this.
The directive signals a national acknowledgment that whoever controls Nigeria’s forests controls Nigeria’s security future.
What the DSS Must Do Now
For this policy to succeed, the DSS—Nigeria’s primary domestic intelligence agency—must perform five urgent tasks:
1. Build a National Forest Intelligence Grid (N-FIG)
The DSS must establish a forest-specific intelligence network, leveraging:
- high-resolution satellite imagery
- drone surveillance
- informant networks inside forest economies (hunters, farmers, loggers)
- digital mapping of forest routes, caves, and bandit logistics nodes
This grid should feed real-time intelligence to joint operations centres.
2. Lead the Recruitment Framework for NFSS
Recruitment must avoid the common pitfalls:
- political patronage
- unfit candidates
- inadequate vetting
- poor screening for criminal infiltration
The DSS should design a multi-stage recruitment process involving:
- psychological profiling
- biometric verification
- background investigation in candidates’ communities
- physical and marksmanship tests
- technology aptitude evaluation
Forest security is not conventional policing; personnel must be carefully selected and specially trained.
3. Standardise Training: From Bushcraft to Counter-Terrorism
Nigeria must adopt the Kenyan RDU model, Uganda’s UPDF forest doctrine, and Brazil’s jungle warfare techniques, integrating them into a syllabus covering:
- navigation & survival in deep forests
- ambush and counter-ambush tactics
- drone operation and surveillance
- night operations
- communication systems
- hostage rescue
- anti-illegal mining operations
- human terrain intelligence (HTI) skills
The DSS must serve as lead trainer on intelligence, interrogation, covert penetration, and early warning systems.
4. Secure Sustainable Funding & Logistics Structure
Forest dominance requires:
- all-terrain vehicles
- armoured patrol bikes
- night-vision kits
- combat drones
- forest-forward operating bases (FOBs)
- solar-powered communication systems
The authorities must push for statutory, ring-fenced funding through the NFSS Act to avoid dependence on annual budget cycles.
5. Design a Federal–State–Community Integration Model
This model should include:
- integration of credible local hunters and forest experts
- reward systems for local intelligence
- state-level NFSS liaison offices
- structured collaboration with state vigilante networks
- community reporting hotlines
The DSS is the only national body capable of designing a cohesive intelligence-led forest governance structure.
Advantages of the Nigerian Forest Security Service (NFSS)
The institution of the NFSS offers clear national benefits:
1. Dedicated force for forest policing—first in Nigeria’s history
Bandits will no longer exploit ungoverned woodlands.
2. Relief for the military
The NFSS can take over persistent forest patrols, allowing the military to focus on high-intensity counterterrorism.
3. Boost to agriculture and rural economy
Farmers can return to farmlands without fear—key for food security.
4. Reduction in kidnapping and violent crimes
Forest denial strategies choke criminal logistics and movement.
5. Protection of national assets
Pipelines, mining sites, power infrastructure, and rail corridors become easier to secure.
Key Challenges the Authorities Must Anticipate
1. Funding sabotage and political resistance
Powerful interests in illegal mining, logging, and banditry-linked networks may attempt sabotage.
2. Inter-agency rivalry
The DSS must ensure NFSS does not become a turf war with the Police or NSCDC.
3. Infiltration by criminal networks
Strict vetting is non-negotiable.
4. Sustainability beyond Tinubu’s administration
Security reforms often collapse under new administrations; the DSS must institutionalise the NFSS.
Conclusion: Nigeria Stands at a Security Crossroads
President Tinubu’s directive and the formation of the NFSS provide a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reclaim Nigeria’s forests and break the operational backbone of bandits, terrorists, and kidnappers.
But the success of this bold move depends heavily on the the political will to provide necessary tools, funding and government backing to function optimally.
If recruitment, training, intelligence coordination, and funding are handled professionally, Nigeria could witness the most significant security improvement since the creation of the Joint Task Force (JTF) in 2011.
The time to act is now.
The forests must no longer belong to criminals—and the DSS must lead this historic transformation now as the President has directed.
