By Amah Alphonsus Amaonye & Chuma Ugbo
June 8, 2025
ABUJA, NIGERIA — As Nigeria continues to grapple with the triple menace of kidnapping, terrorism, and banditry, the present initiative of the Nigeria Forest Security Service (NFSS) has come handy as a beacon of hope.
Designed to bring law enforcement closer to ungoverned spaces and forested regions that have become safe havens for criminal groups, the NFSS is being touted as a potential game-changer in the country’s security architecture.
Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has taken the bull by the horns seeing NFSS as response to growing calls from security experts, civil society organizations, and rural communities who have borne the brunt of escalating insecurity. Forests across Nigeria, particularly in the North West, North East, North Central, and parts of the South, have long served as operational bases for armed bandits, insurgents, and kidnappers.
Despite military efforts, these dense and often unmanned terrains have proven difficult to police.
*A Focused Security Framework*
The NFSS is a specialized paramilitary force structured to function under the Ministry of Interior but operating with significant autonomy and coordination with existing military and police formations.
With personnel trained in bush combat, intelligence gathering, and rapid response tactics tailored to forest environments, the service aims to “sanitize” Nigeria’s forests and restore peace to affected regions.
Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, during the formal inauguration of the NFSS in Abuja, described the initiative as “the missing link in our security framework.”
“We have invested heavily in the military and police, but the gap in forest security has continued to undermine national efforts. The NFSS is our answer to reclaiming our forests and pushing back against the forces of terror,” he said.
Bridging a Critical Gap
Security analysts argue that the traditional security forces have been overstretched and ill-equipped to effectively engage enemies in forested zones.
The new forest service, modeled in part after forest ranger units in countries like Brazil and India, combines environmental surveillance with a strong counter-insurgency mandate.
“The creation of a forest-specific security service is long overdue,” said a security risk analyst and consultant. “Over 70% of kidnapping and banditry operations are launched from forest locations.
By focusing on this terrain, the NFSS can disrupt the logistics, hideouts, and mobility of these criminal groups.”
He further emphasized that integrating local knowledge—through the recruitment of indigenes from forest-bordering communities—will enhance the effectiveness of the service.
Community Integration and Intelligence
A key component of the NFSS strategy is community engagement. Locals are being trained and integrated into the intelligence-gathering network to provide early warnings and insights into suspicious activities.
The government has also assured that unlike other security agencies often accused of brutality or detachment from the populace, the NFSS will operate under a strict community-first approach.
This development has been welcomed by traditional leaders and community-based organizations.
In Zamfara, Katsina, and parts of Niger State, where banditry has displaced thousands, the NFSS has begun pilot operations, working alongside vigilante groups and civil defense corps.
“We have already started seeing results,” said Alhaji Musa Dantata, a community leader in Batsari, Katsina State. “There is now fear among the bandits. Some are abandoning camps. The mere presence of the NFSS is restoring our confidence.”
Funding, Equipment, and Training
The federal government is ready to allocate funds from the 2025 supplementary budget for the operationalization of the NFSS.
This includes procurement of drones, surveillance equipment, motorcycles for forest patrols, and the establishment of regional command centers.
Training is being conducted in partnership with both local military academies and international partners.
According to NFSS Commander General, Wole Joshua Osatimehin, the officers and men have been trained in various Armed Forces, Police, Civil Defence and other security formations in Nigeria.
“We are ready to rout insurgency, kidnapping, Banditry and other forms of terror attacks from our forested areas,” said the Commander General.
In his words, the DCG Intelligence of the NFSS, Amb. Johnny Metchie affirmed that the Service is building a force that understands the forest better than the criminals.
“From guerrilla combats to drone reconnaissance, and other security interventions, our officers and men are well trained to rise up to the occasion and respond swiftly.”
A Turning Point?
Feelers from the masses and experts are that as Nigeria marks 25 years of uninterrupted democracy, the NFSS represents a bold pivot in the national security architecture.
By midwifing this Service, President Tinubu is acknowledged as finding solution to a long-ignored reality, that forests, while vital ecosystems, have also become dark zones of insecurity.
It has been variously touted that the Nigeria Forest Security Service will bring a lasting solution to insecurity connectef to Nigeria’s vast forests.
The Service’s CG has pledged effective inter-agency cooperation, and sustained security impact to curb criminality.
At the moment, NFSS operations are being felt in different parts of the country where the are currently working to combat kidnapping, Banditry, and other security threats.
Residents of these communities have attested to this.
“We can sleep better,” said Hauwa Ibrahim, a farmer in Kaduna’s Giwa LGA. “We know that someone is finally watching the forest.”
