Ex-APC Presidential Contender Advocates Military-Civilian Forest Guard

A former presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 general election, Dr Ibrahim Dauda, has called for the establishment of Military-Civilian Guard to curb insecurity in the country’s forests.

Dauda suggested this in a paper titled “Civilian Forest Guards vs. Military Forest Rangers: Why NAFRAD is Nigeria’s Optimal Security Solution.”

He said the Nigerian Army Forest Rangers Division (NAFRAD), as proposed, shall be a hybrid military force integrating the civilian Joint Task Force (JTF),  which represents a superior model over a wholly civilian forest guard as being proposed.

Dauda argued that NAFRAD’s military framework, advanced capabilities and strategic synergy far outweigh the limitations of civilian guards in confronting Nigeria’s complex security challenges.

Speaking on the advantages of NAFRAD, he said, “It will be a specialized division with strategic Sniper and Demolition Units for precision strikes on high-value targets and destruction of criminal infrastructure.

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“NAFRAD will collaborate with the Air Force, Navy, Police, and DSS for cross-service missions, such as riverine blockades and synchronised artillery strikes—capabilities that purely civilian guards cannot replicate.

Skilled civilians shall be drafted as civilian JTF to provide local intelligence and cultural insights, enhancing NAFRAD’s operational accuracy while maintaining military discipline.

“NAFRAD’s Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) along Nigeria’s borders with Niger, Chad, Benin, and Cameroon shall feature pre-positioned artillery, helicopter gunships, encrypted satellite communication, and other sophisticated platforms critical for deterring transnational threats.

“Critics may argue that militarising forest security risks human rights abuses or undermines community relations. However, NAFRAD’s inclusion of civilian JTF ensures cultural sensitivity, while strict rules of engagement and DSS-led ethical oversight (as a vetting process proposed for civilian guards) shall prevent excesses. Furthermore, NAFRAD’s Medical Response Teams and trauma care protocols shall provide exceptional care for civilian safety during operations and adjacent forest communities during peacetime.

“Others may cite cost concerns, but NAFRAD’s preventive efficacy—in degrading criminal networks before they escalate—reduces long-term economic losses from terrorism, illegal mining, and environmental destruction.

“While civilian forest guards represent a well-intentioned initiative, their structural limitations render them inadequate against Nigeria’s sophisticated adversaries. NAFRAD’s military-civilian hybrid model offers unparalleled tactical superiority, institutional cohesion, and strategic reach.

“By leveraging elite Special Tactical Units (STUs), cutting-edge technology, and joint-service collaboration, NAFRAD precisely secures forests, borders, and national interests. The government must prioritise this military division to counter insurgency, banditry, and transnational crime. As emphasised in my earlier works, NAFRAD is not an option but a necessity.”

He listed the disadvantages of Civilian Forest Guards, including institutional weakness, lack of the military’s chain of command, legal authority, and access to joint-service resources, and Firepower Disparity. Even with assault rifles and drones, civilian units cannot match NAFRAD’s artillery, armoured vehicles, and close air support from Mi-24 helicopters and others.

Also, on the disadvantage, he said, “Prolonged engagements against well-armed insurgents demand the endurance of military personnel trained in asymmetric warfare. Civilian guards, despite special forces training, remain vulnerable to attrition.”