From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
For years, residents of communities across Kaduna State have lived under the shadow of insecurity. From the forests of Birnin Gwari to the rural communities of Giwa, Chikun, Kajuru, Kachia, Kauru, Zangon Kataf and parts of Igabi and Lere, stories of kidnappings, killings, attacks on villages and highways, and millions of naira paid as ransom have become part of daily life.
Families have mourned loved ones murdered by armed gangs, farmers have abandoned fertile farmlands for fear of attack, children have missed years of education following the closure of schools, while businesses have suffered as economic activities ground to a halt in many rural communities.
For many residents, the graduation of 1,101 armed forest guards on August 1, by the Kaduna State Government represents more than a ceremonial event. It is seen as another opportunity to reclaim communities from criminal gangs that have operated for years from the state’s vast forests.
Governor Uba Sani, who reviewed the passing-out parade in Kaduna, described the occasion as “a defining moment” in the state’s journey toward lasting peace and improved security.
“It marks the beginning of a new chapter in our collective effort to protect our people, reclaim our forests and secure the future of our statem,” he said.
Kaduna State has remained one of Nigeria’s states most affected by banditry and kidnapping over the past decade.
Its expansive forests stretching through Birnin Gwari, Giwa, Chikun, Kajuru and neighbouring states have provided safe havens for heavily armed criminal groups who launch attacks on villages, ambush commuters, raid markets and abduct travellers along major highways.
Entire communities have been displaced as residents fled repeated attacks.
In Birnin Gwari, many villages witnessed repeated invasions that forced thousands of residents to seek refuge elsewhere. In parts of Giwa, Kachia and Kajuru, farmers abandoned thousands of hectares of farmland as bandits demanded “taxes” before allowing cultivation or harvesting.
For many households, farming, their primary source of livelihood, became impossible.
Parents faced another painful reality as schools were shut because of persistent attacks. Children in several communities remained out of classrooms for months and, in some cases, years, while health centres struggled to function amid security concerns.
Hundreds of families have spent life savings. sold livestock, farmland, vehicles and other valuables to raise ransom demanded by kidnappers.
Others borrowed heavily or relied on contributions from relatives and community associations in desperate attempts to secure the release of loved ones.Not every victim returned home alive.
Residents recount heartbreaking stories of relatives killed despite ransom payments, while others remain missing years after being abducted.
Highways connecting Kaduna to Birnin Gwari, Niger State, and parts of Zamfara at different periods gained notoriety for attacks on motorists and passengers, creating fear among commuters and disrupting trade.
Against this backdrop, the Kaduna State Government said the newly graduated armed forest guards will complement security agencies by targeting criminal hideouts inside forests.
According to Gov. Sani, the guards have undergone specialised training and have been authorised to deploy advanced operational capabilities to confront criminal elements operating from forest corridors.
“This enhanced capacity will significantly improve our ability to degrade, disarm and dismantle criminal networks that have long exploited our forest corridors as safe havens,” he said.
The governor stressed that the outfit is not intended to replace the military, police, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) or other security agencies but to strengthen coordinated operations.
He noted that one of the major advantages of the initiative is that many of the personnel possess extensive knowledge of the local terrain, which is expected to improve intelligence gathering and response time.
For years, he said, forests across Kaduna had become sanctuaries for bandits, kidnappers, cattle rustlers and other criminal groups, leading to deaths, displacement and disruption of economic activities.
“No responsible government can accept such a reality. We have, therefore, chosen the path of decisive and deliberate action,” he declared.
Sani noted that ongoing security operations have already yielded positive results in several parts of the state. According to him, more than 125 schools previously shut because of insecurity have reopened, while farming activities and healthcare services have resumed in many affected communities.
He also listed Birnin Gwari, Giwa, Kauru, Kachia, Kajuru and Zangon Kataf among local government areas where security and economic activities have improved compared to previous years.
The governor, however, acknowledged that more work remains to be done and appealed to the Federal Government for approval to recruit an additional 1,000 forest guards.
Across Kaduna, news of the graduation has generated cautious optimism. Many residents said they hope the forest guards will help restore confidence in rural communities where fear has dictated daily life for years.
Some believe that denying criminals access to forest hideouts could reduce attacks on villages and highways, making it safer for farmers to return to their fields and for traders to move goods without fear of abduction.
Parents also hope improved security will allow children to remain in school uninterrupted, while displaced families express optimism about returning to their ancestral homes.
Community leaders said that success will depend not only on the Guards’ training and equipment but also on sustained collaboration with security agencies and the cooperation of local residents through credible intelligence sharing.
Some residents, however, urge the government to ensure adequate welfare, continuous training and strict accountability for the new personnel to prevent abuse of power and maintain public trust.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony, the Director of Internal Security in the Office of the National Security Adviser, Mallam Sani Sani, said the forest guard initiative was introduced by President Bola Tinubu on May 24, 2025, to secure ungoverned spaces, protect biodiversity, safeguard watersheds and preserve wildlife.
He disclosed that Kaduna’s programme, which began on June 15, 2026, produced 1,101 graduates after two months of intensive training covering weapons handling, combat readiness, physical fitness, civil-military cooperation and adherence to international humanitarian law.
The graduates are expected to serve as first responders within their communities pending the arrival of conventional security agencies.
Lieutenant Commander Sani Abdullahi of the Nigerian Navy, who served as Training Officer, said the curriculum included marksmanship, patrol techniques, tracking, raid and ambush operations, communications, combat first aid and cordon-and-search procedures.
He described the graduates as disciplined personnel prepared to support security operations and protect lives and property.
Governor Sani charged the new Forest Guards to carry out their duties with professionalism, discipline, integrity and respect for human rights.
He urged residents to support the outfit by providing timely and credible intelligence while reaffirming his administration’s commitment to investing in security, technology, education, agriculture and job creation.
For thousands of Kaduna residents who have endured years of violence, however, the true measure of success will not be the graduation ceremony but safer roads, peaceful villages, thriving farms and communities where families can once again sleep without fear.
The hope shared across many affected communities is that the deployment of the Armed Forest Guards will help deny criminal gangs the freedom they have long enjoyed in Kaduna’s forests and usher in a new era of lasting peace and security.
Following the passing-out parade, the newly commissioned forest guards and the training personnel expressed a high sense of duty, readiness, and confidence regarding their upcoming deployment into Kaduna’s forests.
The guards expressed strong determination to serve as the first line of community resilience, declaring their readiness to directly confront terrorist threats and reclaim ungoverned spaces in the State.
(The Sun)