Kaduna State in North-West Nigeria has graduated 1,101 pioneer forest guards after two months of intensive paramilitary training aimed at strengthening intelligence-led, community-based security and reclaiming forests from criminal elements.
Governor Uba Sani, who was the Reviewing Officer and Special Guest of Honour, at their passing-out-parade also announced plans to seek Federal Government’s approval for the recruitment of an additional 1,000 forest guards to further boost security across the state.
The training is the forest guards covered weapons handling, marksmanship, patrol operations, field craft, intelligence gathering, combat first aid, civil-military cooperation and international humanitarian law, equipping them to operate effectively alongside conventional security agencies.
Governor Sani described the graduation as a significant milestone in Kaduna State’s efforts to strengthen its security architecture through intelligence-led, community-based policing.
He said the forest guards would leverage their knowledge of the local terrain to improve intelligence gathering, deny criminal groups safe havens within forest corridors and reinforce the operations of the Armed Forces and other security agencies.
Representing the National Security Adviser, the Director of Internal Security, Sani Sani, described Kaduna’ State’s Forest Guards training programme as the best conducted so far under the national initiative.
He said the graduates would serve as community first responders and disclosed that arrangements had been concluded for their immediate deployment, with the payment of salaries and other entitlements commencing without delay.
The ceremony also featured the presentation of awards to outstanding trainees who distinguished themselves in leadership, discipline and overall performance during the training.
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Meanwhile, 530 Forest Guards in Kogi State, North-Central Nigeria have also passed out after a period of training.
The Office of the National Security Adviser said the Forest Guards were trained to boost intelligence gathering and enhance security.
Representative of the National Security Adviser, Major-General Hilary Mabeokwu emphasised that
the operational readiness of the new recruits through tactical demonstrations, drone surveillance, and joint-security drills
is crucial to national stability. He noted that the newly trained guards are fully equipped and ready for immediate tactical deployment.
Commending the federal-state partnership, Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo, represented by his deputy, Joel Salifu, described the initiative as a major pillar of the administration’s security strategy,
The graduating corps demonstrated advanced skill sets, including operational drone technology, tactical response maneuvers, and ground intelligence processing.
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(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
