Group Makes Case for Forest Guards, Seeks Amnesty, Inclusion in National Security Network

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

A civil society organisation, Speak Out for Justice Advocacy Ltd./GTE (SOJA), has called on the federal government to grant amnesty to members of the Forest Guards facing prosecution over alleged illegal security operations and unlawful possession of firearms.

In a statement issued yesterday in Abuja, the group’s Executive Director, Hameed Jimoh, argued that the affected guards should be rehabilitated and integrated into Nigeria’s security architecture rather than criminalised.

The appeal followed reports that the Federal Government had filed a seven-count criminal charge against some leaders of the Forest Guards linked to an organisation identified as the Nigeria Forest Security Service (NFSS), over alleged unauthorised security activities and possession of locally made pistols.

While acknowledging the authority of the government in regulating arms and maintaining national security, SOJA said the prosecution should not overshadow what it described as the urgent need for innovative responses to worsening insecurity across the country.

“Nigeria presently faces unprecedented security challenges,” the organisation said, noting that terrorists, kidnappers, bandits and other criminal groups continue to attack communities across several states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The group argued that many citizens have increasingly turned to self-help and community security arrangements due to fear and inadequate protection in vulnerable areas, particularly forest communities and remote settlements frequently exploited by criminal elements.

According to SOJA, available reports suggested that the weapons allegedly recovered from the Forest Guards were being used to provide protection for individuals, public agencies and private institutions.

The organisation maintained that although such actions may have fallen outside existing legal frameworks, they appeared to have been motivated by efforts to fill security gaps in underserved communities.

Drawing comparisons with the Federal Government’s previous reintegration policies for repentant insurgents and former combatants, SOJA said fairness and consistency demanded a similar approach toward the Forest Guards.

The group therefore urged the Attorney-General of the Federation to review and withdraw the charges against the affected individuals.

It also called on the government to establish a formal framework for screening and verifying members of the group, retraining suitable personnel, and deploying them within the nation’s security structure to support intelligence gathering and anti-banditry operations.

SOJA argued that individuals familiar with forest terrains and local communities could become strategic assets in the fight against terrorism, kidnapping and organised crime if properly regulated and supervised.

The organisation further stressed that national security policies should not focus solely on punishment but should also explore opportunities for reform, rehabilitation and constructive engagement where public interest would be served.

The controversy comes amid growing national conversations over the role of local vigilante groups and community-based security outfits in addressing Nigeria’s persistent security crisis. While some stakeholders have advocated greater collaboration between formal security agencies and grassroots defenders, others have warned against the proliferation of armed non-state actors outside government control.

As insecurity continues to stretch security resources nationwide, the debate over whether community security groups should be formalised, regulated or prosecuted is likely to remain a contentious issue in Nigeria’s evolving security landscape.