By Hadiza Yusuf

The Kaduna State Government has commended the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) for initiating the Forest Guards programme, describing it as a critical intervention in efforts to tackle insecurity in forested and rural communities.

Governor Uba Sani gave the commendation on Wednesday while receiving a high-level delegation from ONSA led by the Director of Defence Affairs, Major General HI Mabeokwu, at the Government House in Kaduna.

The delegation was in the state to assess the ongoing training of more than 1,000 armed forest guards being prepared for deployment to security flashpoints across Kaduna.

According to the governor, the initiative demonstrates the federal government’s commitment to strengthening security through collaboration with state governments.

Mr Sani also reaffirmed his administration’s support for the programme, pledging continued attention to the welfare of both the trainees and their instructors.

The ONSA delegation expressed satisfaction with the progress of the exercise, describing the training as well organised and the facilities as adequate for the programme.

Members of the delegation also commended the Kaduna State Government for providing welfare support to the trainees and instructors throughout the exercise.

Officials said the trainees have completed about 60 per cent of the training curriculum, which includes weapons handling, tactical operations and other field competencies required for forest security operations.

The evaluation team included representatives of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), the Department of State Services (DSS), the National Park Service, the Nigeria Police Force and the Armed Forces.

The Kaduna training programme is coordinated by ONSA as part of the broader Presidential Forest Guards Initiative aimed at reclaiming forests used by terrorists, bandits and kidnappers as operational bases. The guards are expected to work alongside conventional security agencies by providing intelligence, conducting patrols and maintaining a security presence in forested areas.

Security analysts have argued that the success of the initiative will depend largely on sustained training, adequate equipment and close coordination with existing security agencies. They noted that properly trained and well-armed forest guards could become an important force multiplier in Nigeria’s fight against insecurity, particularly in forests that have become safe havens for criminal groups.