‘Insecurity: Forest guards are environmentalists, can’t protect Nigerians’

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By Adegboyega Adeleye

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Amid growing concerns over banditry, kidnappings and terrorist attacks across parts of the country, the Co-founder of the United Nigeria Against Terrorism, Usman Austin Okai, has argued that the Federal Government’s forest guards initiative cannot, on its own, provide the level of security Nigerians desperately need.

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Okai spoke during an appearance on Vanguard’s political programme, Politics Hub, where he reacted to recent efforts by President Bola Tinubu’s administration to strengthen security through the recruitment and deployment of forest guards across vulnerable states. Recall that the Federal Government has, in recent months, expanded the Presidential Forest Guards Initiative, graduating over 7,000 personnel and approving additional recruitment in states affected by insecurity as part of efforts to reclaim forests from terrorists, bandits and kidnappers.

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Responding to questions on whether forest guards could help address Nigeria’s worsening security crisis, Okai said the country requires a broader and more strategic approach.

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“The security sector, you sack them and bring in another one, it is still not improving. That is the problem, and that is why I said we should use another strategy,” he said.

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Questioning the expectations being placed on the forest guards, Okai argued that their traditional role differs significantly from that of trained combat personnel.

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“The forest guards you mentioned, who are they? They are environmentalists, not combatants; their constitutional duty is not to fight terror, they are to protect wild animals and go against deforestation, etc,” he stated.

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According to him, assigning anti-terror responsibilities to forest guards without adequate preparation could create fresh security challenges.

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“In that case, they need training, they need to work with the police and the intelligence organisations, the DSS. They need to work with them and collaborate with the military. Anything outside information gathering and data sharing is a disaster,” Okai warned.

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He further argued that if the government intends to deploy forest guards into areas dominated by heavily armed criminal groups, they must be adequately equipped and integrated into existing security structures.

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“The government must, as a matter of urgency, equip them with the same ammunition as the bandits,” he said.

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Okai also advocated greater operational autonomy within the security architecture and called for the engagement of experienced retired security personnel rather than individuals who could compromise intelligence operations.

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According to him, Nigeria’s fight against insecurity requires a coordinated strategy built around intelligence gathering, community engagement and professional security expertise rather than relying solely on new security formations.

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