The National Security Adviser(NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, has noted that the synergy between the Federal Government and Kaduna State Government under Governor Uba Sani, is tackling insecurity.
Malam Nuhu who disclosed this at the graduation of the pioneer batch of Armed Forest Guards, was represented by Malam Sani Sani, the Director of Internal Security at Office of the National Security Adviser on Saturday.
The NSA who appreciated the training of the Armed Forest Guards, further said that ‘’from the evaluation that we carried out across the country, the training in Kaduna State has been recorded as the best at the moment.’’
‘’The Office of the National Security Adviser will not have any doubt, to grant another request to Kaduna State, to continue this kind of training if the Governor wishes to do so,’’ he added.
According to the NSA, the over 1000 Forest Guards have been subjected to rigorous training in weapons handling, physical fitness, battle-readiness, relationship with the host community, civil-military cooperation and cooperation with other services, as well as observance of the rule of law.
‘’The beneficiaries of this training are expected to go back to their respective communities and establish a first line community resilience, to resist every invading enemy of the state as first responders, before the arrival of various security agencies,’’ he clarified.
The National Security Adviser recalled that President Bola Tinubu declared the Armed Forest Guard initiative on the 24th of May, 2025, ‘’to commence training of indigenous people to protect our ungoverned spaces, particularly the forest belts, protect our biodiversity, water sheds and wild life.’’
He also said that Armed Forest Guards will form ‘’a security architecture that will dominate the forest and deny criminal elements the freedom of action within our forest spaces.’’
According to him, the president directed the Office of the National Security Adviser to give strategic leadership and to ‘’also manage the training across the federation.’’
In his address, Governor Uba Sani who commended the NSA for all his support, also said that he is proud that the training in Kaduna State is the best in the country.
‘’’’I also want to use this opportunity, to formally make additional request of another 1000 Forest Guards in Kaduna. In our state, security is one of the most important agenda of our government,’’ he pointed out.
‘’Many local governments were not accessible due to insecurity when we came in in 2023. But people can now go to such local governments without police escorts. And that, in my opinion, is progress,’’ he added.
According to him, frontline local governments like Birnin Gwari, Giwa and Kachia were under siege during the last dispensation but the story is now different.
‘’Today, because of our collaboration with the Federal Government, the support of our leader, President Bola Tinubu, we have been able to address most of the problems of insecurity in those frontline local governments.
‘’That is the reason why we are making this additional request of 1000 Forest Guards. And I have no doubt that the National Security Adviser, and our leader, will approve this request,’’
Governor Uba Sani promised that under the guidance of Almighty God, with the support of all stakeholders, ‘’we shall continue to build a Kaduna State that is peaceful, strong and prosperous for generations to come.’’