Page 3 Weekend Trust, January 17, 2026
The horrific attack of the first week of January 2026 at the Kasuwan Daji market in Demo village, Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, where at least 30 innocent Nigerians were mercilessly slaughtered, is yet another brutal reminder of the urgent need to reclaim Nigeria’s forests from the grip of violent criminals.
This latest tragedy, believed to have been executed by bandits who live and operate from the vast Kainji National Park and surrounding forests, underscores a truth we can no longer ignore – that our forests have become the biggest ungoverned spaces enabling mass murder, mass abductions and the collapse of rural livelihoods.
Nigeria must now give the newly revitalised Forest Guards all the support, strength and strategic clarity needed to uproot criminality from these spaces. Anything less will keep the cycle of bloodshed unbroken.
For years, bandits, terrorists, cattle rustlers, kidnappers and other violent actors have exploited the natural cover of Nigeria’s forests, estimated at 96,000 square kilometres, with more than 1,129 forest reserves to build parallel criminal economies. These spaces offer concealment, operational bases, escape routes and safe havens where criminals stockpile weapons and hold abducted citizens for ransom. The link between ungoverned forests and unrestrained violence is unmistakable. As long as these dense territories remain outside the effective control of the state, rural communities will continue to be terrorised and abandoned.
This was the reason behind the national revival of the Forest Guards initiative under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser, in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and other security agencies.
While Forest Guards are not new in Nigeria – having existed during colonial times and revived in pockets such as Ondo State in 2019 – the scale of today’s insecurity demands a far more robust, modern and intelligence driven outfit.
To succeed, the Forest Guards must be guided clearly by their core objectives, including denying criminals sanctuary, dominating the forests, restoring state authority to ungoverned spaces, securing communities and supporting broader national security operations. Their mandate is not to replace the police, the military or civil defence but to fill a critical vacuum that has allowed forests to turn into war zones.
Achieving these objectives requires far more than symbolic launches or ceremonial uniforms. It demands a deep, structural investment in capacity, welfare, technology, discipline and coordination. The guards must be better trained, equipped and motivated than the criminal networks they are expected to confront. A bandit armed with an AK-47, GPS handset and satellite phone and even drones in some cases cannot be countered by a forest guard carrying a stick or a worn-out rifle.
The guards need sophisticated weapons, night-vision equipment, surveillance drones, communication gadgets and modern mapping tools.
Criminal groups currently operate with far superior familiarity of the terrain; the state must close this gap with technology and specialised training. Discipline and character must also be non-negotiable. Forest Guards cannot become a dumping ground for political loyalists, thugs, or unvetted recruits. This is an elite security outfit that should only admit men and women of proven integrity, physical endurance, emotional stability and a deep sense of duty. The recruitment process must be tough, transparent and insulated from political interference. Anything short of that will undermine the entire project.
Likewise, the work of the Forest Guards must never be politicised. They must not become tools for settling local scores or instruments of intimidation in partisan battles. Their mandate is national security, not politics, and they should be deployed strictly for that purpose.
Importantly, the guards cannot work in isolation. They require the full collaboration of the military, police, State Security Service and civil defence for intelligence, rapid response and coordinated operations. When they sight suspicious movement, uncover a hideout or intercept terrorists’ logistics, they must be able to trigger immediate joint action. The military, for instance, can provide overwhelming force when needed, while the guards maintain constant presence and dominance of the terrain.
When properly empowered, the Forest Guards will allow other security agencies to return to their core mandates. The Nigeria Police Force will be able to focus on civil authority, managing crime, investigations and community safety instead of being dragged into every forest operation. The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps can concentrate on protecting oil pipelines, rail lines, power infrastructure and other critical national assets. And the military, which should ordinarily be in the barracks and deployed only for external threats, can focus on protecting national sovereignty rather than conducting daily internal security operations in almost every state.
The broader potential is enormous. Reclaiming the forests will reopen farmlands that have been abandoned for years due to fear of bandit attacks. It will allow displaced farmers to return to their communities, restore food production, create wealth and rebuild rural economies. Nigeria cannot tackle food inflation or revive agriculture without securing the forests that surround farms, grazing routes and markets.
Beyond security and agriculture, forests and national parks are valuable assets for tourism, conservation and scientific research. Places like the Kainji National Park, Gashaka-Gumti, Old Oyo Park, Sambisa and Alagarno and the numerous reserves across the country have the potential to attract tourists, create jobs and generate revenue. But none of that is possible when these parks are overrun by criminal elements.
To ensure sustainability, the Forest Guards must also be adequately compensated. Competitive salaries, life insurance, medical cover and other incentives are essential. These men and women will be confronting armed groups in some of the toughest terrains in the country; they must not be left to face such danger without adequate support for them and their families.
Finally, close cooperation between states and the federal government is crucial. Forests do not recognise administrative boundaries, and criminals migrate between states with ease. Joint planning, real-time intelligence sharing, harmonised operations and unified command structures will be essential for effectiveness.
The massacre in Borgu is a reminder that Nigeria is running out of time. If the Forest Guards are properly built, equipped and insulated from politics, they can become one of the country’s most effective tools in restoring safety, rebuilding rural economies and reclaiming territories lost to criminals.