Forest guards deployed to some of the most security-sensitive communities in Kwara and Enugu states have reportedly abandoned, or threatened to abandon, their duty posts over allegations of unpaid salaries, poor welfare packages and inadequate weapons. The operatives, recruited under state and federal government-backed forest security initiatives, said they have been left to confront terrorists, bandits and other armed criminals without the necessary support required to carry out their assignments effectively.
According to several of the affected personnel, months of unpaid salaries and allowances, coupled with a lack of food supplies and operational resources, have significantly weakened morale among officers stationed in remote communities. Many claimed they had remained on duty for months without receiving the welfare benefits promised to them at the point of deployment.
In Kwara State, guards deployed across Kaiama, Edu and Patigi Local Government Areas reportedly began withdrawing from their operational locations after enduring prolonged hardship. Some officers alleged that they had spent more than three months in isolated communities without food support, forcing them to depend on local residents who are themselves grappling with economic challenges.
The operatives said they accepted the assignment based on assurances that government authorities would provide adequate welfare and logistical support. However, they lamented that the promises had not materialised, leaving many of them struggling to survive while carrying out dangerous security duties.
Several guards expressed frustration that they were expected to confront heavily armed criminal elements despite being poorly equipped. According to them, the disparity between the weapons available to forest guards and those possessed by terrorists and bandits has heightened the risks associated with their operations. They argued that effective forest security cannot be achieved when personnel lack the equipment, welfare and operational backing necessary to carry out their mandate.
The concerns are not limited to Kwara State. In Enugu, recently recruited forest guards also alleged that they have worked for months without receiving salaries or allowances. Some claimed they had remained unpaid since late 2025 despite participating in security operations across various local government areas.
Sources familiar with the situation said a number of the guards were initially recruited as volunteers and were later assured that they would be regularised and placed on the government payroll. However, many are reportedly still awaiting the implementation of those promises while continuing to perform security duties in volatile communities.
Some of the affected personnel are attached to joint security operations involving the military, police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and neighbourhood watch groups. Guards deployed to Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State, an area that has witnessed repeated attacks by criminal elements, said the uncertainty surrounding their remuneration has become increasingly discouraging.
The development has raised concerns about the sustainability of the Federal Government’s forest guard programme, a key component of efforts to combat terrorism, kidnapping and banditry in forested and remote parts of the country. The initiative gained momentum following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of a national security emergency in November 2025 and the subsequent deployment of trained forest guards to support security operations nationwide.
Government figures indicate that more than 9,000 forest guards have been trained across several states under the programme, which is coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser and implemented with support from key security and intelligence agencies. The initiative was designed to reclaim forests from criminal groups and strengthen intelligence gathering in difficult terrains.
Kwara State has been one of the major beneficiaries of the programme due to persistent security challenges in parts of the state. About 1,000 forest guards were reportedly trained and deployed to vulnerable communities across Kaiama, Edu, Patigi, Ifelodun and Ekiti local government areas. However, the assignment has come at a heavy cost, with several forest guards and vigilantes reportedly losing their lives in separate attacks by suspected terrorists over the past year.
Despite the growing frustration, the affected operatives insist they are not unwilling to work. Rather, they are demanding regular payment of salaries and allowances, adequate feeding arrangements, improved welfare packages and access to appropriate weapons for self-defence and effective operations. They maintain that deploying personnel to dangerous environments without the necessary support not only endangers the lives of the guards but also undermines the safety of the communities they were recruited to protect.
As of the time of reporting, authorities in both Kwara and Enugu states had not publicly responded to the allegations. Efforts to obtain official comments from relevant officials were reportedly unsuccessful. Meanwhile, the exact number of affected personnel, the total amount owed and the specific terms of their engagement remain unclear.