Kwara State graduated approximately 1,000 forest guards on December 27, 2025, as part of the federal Presidential Forest Guards Initiative across seven states. Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq affirmed there is no place for terrorists and kidnappers in the state during the passing-out parade.
The Kwara event was one of simultaneous graduation ceremonies held nationwide under the initiative launched by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in May 2025 and coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA). These guards, trained over three months in security skills and environmental conservation, will be immediately deployed to state forests to combat terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping.
Speaking at the parade, Governor Abdulrazaq emphasized Kwara's zero-tolerance stance: 'No place for terrorists, kidnappers in Kwara.' This local deployment aligns with the national effort to reclaim forests from criminal hideouts, as highlighted by NSA Nuhu Ribadu at the ceremonies.
By leveraging indigenous personnel familiar with local terrain, the program enhances community protection and intelligence in Nigeria's insecurity-challenged northern regions.
