Northern Youths Commend Tinubu Over Forest Guards Approval

Northern Christian Youth Professionals (NCYP) has applauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards to support the fight against insecurity in Plateau State.

It however insisted that the recruitment must be community-based to achieve the desired purpose.

A statement issued by the chairman, Northern Christian Youth Professionals (NCYP), Isaac Abrak, said as the main advocate for the establishment of the Forest Guards, anything short of this community-based approach risks the failure of the initiative and may compound insecurity as complaints and killings have traumatised the neighbouring communities.

As  advocates of the Forest Guard initiative, NCYP noted that the 1,000 guards approved for Plateau State are grossly inadequate given the size of the state and the scale of its security challenges.

The group described the President’s move as a fulfilment of his campaign promise to address security challenges in forest and rural communities.

NCYP said youths from forest-bordering and hotspot communities possess superior knowledge of the terrain and forest routes and are often the first victims of insecurity, making them naturally more committed and effective in defending their communities.

The group warned that failure to adopt a community-based recruitment approach could undermine the entire Forest Guard initiative and worsen insecurity.

NCYP called on Plateau State governor, Caleb Mutfwang, to ensure that recruitment is inclusive and community-focused, with priority given to local youths. The group emphasised the importance of involving traditional rulers, who are well known and  positioned to identify credible youths, prevent the recruitment of unsuitable individuals while strengthening accountability through traditional oversight.

The organisation cautioned against the recruitment process being hijacked for political patronage or armed groups, noting that such actions have previously led to abuse of vigilante structures in some states.

NCYP stated that the approval of the  1,000 Forest Guards are insufficient given the size of Plateau State and its security challenges. Drawing comparison with the deployment of over 20,000 CJTF members in Borno State in 2012 to combat Boko Haram, the group urged President Tinubu to approve an additional 4,000 Forest Guard recruits for Plateau State to ensure effective coverage and lasting impact.