President Bola Tinubu has directed Nigeria’s security chiefs to intensify the nationwide fight against terrorism and banditry, ordering them to rescue all abducted persons and ensure that criminal camps are dismantled across the country.
The directive followed a five-hour meeting of the National Security Council, presided over by the President at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday.
Briefing State House correspondents after the meeting, the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), said the President had given security agencies clear instructions to tackle insecurity, reclaim vulnerable territories and protect lives and property.
Musa said the military, police and intelligence agencies were united in their commitment to implementing the directives and restoring peace across the country.
He added that the operations would target terrorist and bandit hideouts, with the ultimate objective of denying criminal groups safe havens and preventing further attacks on communities.
FG Plans Deployment of Forest Guards
To prevent terrorists and bandits from returning to areas cleared during military operations, the council discussed plans to strengthen the deployment of forest guards to reclaimed territories.
Security forces often move to other operational theatres after dislodging criminal groups, leaving some recovered locations vulnerable to renewed infiltration.
To address the challenge, the government plans to deploy personnel under the Presidential Forest Guards Initiative to maintain a security presence in such areas and prevent criminals from re-establishing their camps.
The initiative, coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser, was launched in May 2025 and has reportedly trained and deployed about 9,000 guards across several states, including Borno, Sokoto, Kaduna, Kogi and Oyo.
The guards are expected to identify security threats in forested areas and work with relevant agencies, including the Department of State Services and the National Park Service, to prevent criminal groups from using forests as hideouts.
The strategy is designed to complement military operations by ensuring that territories recovered from terrorists and bandits remain secure.
