Pix: Tinubu

By Benjamin Olokun, a security consultant writes in from Osogbo, Osun State.

Nigerians were told, with much fanfare, that Forest Guards would be deployed to reclaim the nation’s forests from bandits, kidnappers, and terrorists. Months after the announcement, a simple but troubling question is growing louder across the country: where are the Forest Guards?
The concern is not driven by impatience but by reality. In many parts of Nigeria, forests remain safe havens for criminal gangs who launch attacks on communities, highways, and farms. For citizens living near these forests, insecurity is not theoretical. It is daily and deadly.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration inherited a fragile security environment. Promising a new security formation specifically focused on ungoverned forest spaces raised hope, especially among rural communities that feel abandoned by conventional security structures.
However, hope without visible action quickly turns into doubt. Nigerians are yet to see a clear presence, structure, or operational impact of the Forest Guards. No official deployment map, no public briefing, and no measurable results have been presented.
Security initiatives thrive on clarity. Who are these Forest Guards? Are they federal or state controlled? Have they been recruited, trained, and equipped? Without answers, the policy risks becoming another well intentioned announcement lost to bureaucracy.
Silence creates space for speculation. In the absence of information, rumours spread, ranging from claims that the guards exist only on paper to fears that they may have been quietly politicised or stalled by inter agency rivalry.
This matters because Nigeria’s security history is full of abandoned or poorly managed initiatives. Armed formations introduced without transparency have, in the past, created new problems instead of solving old ones.
Communities deserve reassurance, not confusion. Farmers want to return to their fields without fear. Travellers want highways free from ambush. Villagers want to sleep without listening for gunshots from nearby forests.
The President owes Nigerians an update. Not propaganda, but facts. How many Forest Guards have been recruited? Where are they deployed? Who commands them? What rules guide their operations?
Accountability strengthens governance. Explaining delays, challenges, or adjustments does not weaken leadership. On the contrary, it builds trust and shows seriousness of purpose.
If the Forest Guards are not ready, Nigerians deserve to know why. If they are ready, Nigerians deserve to see them working alongside existing security agencies to restore safety to vulnerable areas.
Insecurity cannot be managed by announcements alone. Forests do not fear press releases. Criminals do not retreat from promises. Only visible, disciplined, and accountable action makes a difference.
As Nigerians continue to ask where the Forest Guards are, the question is ultimately about governance. It is a call for transparency, urgency, and results. The forests remain occupied by criminals. The nation is waiting for action.