The Katsina State Government has deployed 1,008 newly trained forest guards to help combat banditry, terrorism, cattle rustling and illegal tree felling across the state.
Governor Dikko Radda announced this on Friday at the passing-out ceremony of the personnel in Katsina, where he urged them to carry out their duties responsibly and represent their communities and the country with integrity.
He explained that the forest guards would work alongside about 3,000 members of the state-owned Community Watch Corps, the Civilian Joint Task Force, local vigilantes and hunters to improve security in forests and other vulnerable areas.
Radda assured the personnel that his administration would provide the equipment and other support needed to enable them to perform their duties effectively.
The governor regretted that forest reserves, which once provided livelihoods for nearby communities, had turned into hiding places for criminals.
He said his administration had introduced several security measures, including the establishment of the Community Watch Corps and increased support for conventional security agencies, which had helped reduce banditry and terrorism in the state.
Radda also praised President Bola Tinubu for initiating the establishment of forest guards across several states, describing the move as an important step towards protecting the country's forests.
In a statement read at the event, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, said the 1,008 guards would be deployed immediately to vulnerable communities to gather intelligence, protect forest reserves and support ongoing security operations.
Ribadu, who was represented by a former Assistant Director of the Department of State Services, I.O. Shotoyo, urged the guards to maintain discipline, professionalism and respect for human rights while carrying out their assignments.
“The nation counts on you. We expect you to serve with courage, discipline and integrity such that you will be able to reclaim every inch of our forests,” he said.
Earlier, the trainer of the personnel, Lt. Col. George Agar, disclosed that the team consisted of 990 men and 18 women who had completed eight weeks of intensive training.
He said their training covered combat operations, the use of AK-47 rifles, intelligence gathering, night patrols, confronting suspected terrorists, rescuing kidnapped victims and preventing illegal logging.
Agar expressed confidence that the training had prepared the personnel with the skills required to tackle security threats and protect forest reserves across the state.