Kaduna, Kogi Deploy Over 1,600 Forest Guards to Crush Criminal Hideouts
KADUNA & LOKOJA — In a major boost to Nigeria’s internal security framework, Kaduna and Kogi states have graduated a combined total of 1,631 pioneer Forest Guards.
The newly trained paramilitary personnel will immediately deploy to reclaim vast forest reserves from bandits, terrorists, and other criminal elements.
The initiative, backed by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), shifts Nigeria’s counter-insurgency strategy toward intelligence-led, community-based policing.
Kaduna Initiates 1,101 Forest Guards, Plans 1,000 More
Speaking at the event, Governor Sani revealed plans to seek Federal Government approval to recruit an additional 1,000 guards to scale up the state’s security architecture.
“The Forest Guards will leverage their intimate knowledge of the local terrain to enhance intelligence gathering,” Governor Sani stated.
He assured that the deployment will significantly reinforce the tactical operations of the Nigerian Armed Forces and other conventional security agencies.
The intensive two-month curriculum equipped the Kaduna guards with vital combat and intelligence skills, including weapons handling and advanced marksmanship, patrol operations and fieldcraft, and intelligence gathering and processing.
Authorities confirmed that funding, immediate deployment strategies, and salary structures for the graduates are already finalized.
Kogi Deploys 530 High-Tech Guards with Drone Capabilities
Simultaneously, Kogi State graduated 530 Forest Guards to police its strategic border forests and interior thickets.
Representing the NSA, Major General Hilary Mabeokwu emphasized that the operational readiness of the Kogi corps is crucial to national stability.
During the ceremony, the new recruits showcased their preparedness through live tactical demonstrations, joint-security drills, and ground intelligence processing.
Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, speaking through his Deputy, Comrade Joel Salifu, described the federal-state partnership as a core pillar of his administration’s zero-tolerance policy on insecurity.
Notably, the Kogi State Forest Guards have been trained in advanced surveillance technologies, including operational drone piloting, giving them an aerial advantage in tracking criminal movements across the state’s rugged terrain.
Outstanding trainees from both state cohorts received leadership and discipline awards, signaling a highly motivated workforce ready for the frontline.
