Yobe Recruits 1,886 Forest Guards to Strengthen Anti-Terror War Along Niger Border

Yobe Recruits 1,886 Forest Guards to Strengthen Anti-Terror War Along Niger Border

By  Njadvara Musa. Damaturu

The Yobe State Government has recruited 1,886 forest guards to reinforce security operations and safeguard communities located along the state’s border with the Niger Republic.

The newly engaged guards are expected to support ongoing counter-insurgency operations in vulnerable communities across Geidam, Nguru, Yusufari and Yunusari local government areas, where security threats linked to Boko Haram and ISWAP activities have persisted.

Speaking during the official deployment ceremony on Tuesday in Damaturu, the Special Adviser on Security Matters to Governor Mai Mala Buni, Brigadier General Dahiru Abdulsalam (retd.), said the initiative was designed to complement the efforts of troops under Operation Hadin Kai, local hunters and other security agencies operating in the region.

According to him, the forest guards will help close security gaps frequently exploited by insurgents operating around remote settlements and forest corridors, particularly within the Yusufari and Sasawa forest belts.

Abdulsalam noted that Yobe had remained one of the states heavily affected by insurgency since the extremist movement first emerged in Kanama in 2003 before escalating into full-scale violence in 2009.

He explained that attacks intensified in the state from 2011, forcing the Yobe government to shoulder a large share of security responsibilities, including logistics, operational vehicles, troop allowances and feeding support for security personnel.

“Between 2011 and 2015, the state government handled significant operational responsibilities because much of the federal response at the time was concentrated in Borno State,” he stated.

The retired army officer said military operations in the Northeast had evolved through several phases, from the Joint Task Force Restore Order to Operation Zaman Lafiya, Operation Lafiya Dole and the current Operation Hadin Kai, with each transition aimed at improving counter-terrorism strategies.

He identified Gulani, Gujba, Damaturu, Tarmuwa, Bursari, Yusufari and Geidam as the most affected local government areas in Yobe East Senatorial District due to their proximity to international borders linking Chad, Niger and Cameroon.

According to Abdulsalam, insurgents often infiltrate Yobe through neighbouring parts of Borno State before retreating to the Sambisa Forest and the Lake Chad axis after launching attacks.

He, however, maintained that apart from the Bulabulin Forest in Yusufari Local Government Area, where insurgent presence has been reported, there are no major Boko Haram camps inside Yobe State.

The security adviser commended the military, the Department of State Services (DSS), vigilante groups and local hunters for sustaining coordinated efforts against insurgent activities and supply routes.

He also praised the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, and the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, for supporting grassroots security initiatives across the region.

Abdulsalam revealed that Oluyede personally facilitated logistics, feeding, operational equipment and allowances for about 200 local hunters assisting security operations in vulnerable communities.

He added that the newly recruited forest guards had already been armed, placed on salary structures and deployed to strategic flashpoints to enhance surveillance and rapid response operations.

The adviser further disclosed that the Yobe State Government continues to provide welfare assistance to families of local hunters and security volunteers who lost their lives while supporting military operations.