Insecurity: Former APC Presidential aspirant calls for joint military-civilian forest guard

By Jude Opara, Abuja

Apparently worried by the rising cases of insecurity across the country, a former Presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 general elections, Dr. Ibrahim Bello Dauda, has canvassed for the creation of a joint military-civilian security outfit to guard and halt the cases of insecurity in the Nigerian forest.

Dauda, in a paper titled; “Civilian Forest Guards vs. Military Forest Rangers: Why NAFRAD is Nigeria’s Optimal Security Solution”, argued that the situation has gotten to the point drastic actions should be employed to curb the manace.

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 canvassed.

 The former presidential hopeful further argued that NAFRAD’s military framework, advanced capabilities and strategic synergy far outweigh the perceived limitations of civilian guards in confronting Nigeria’s complex security challenges.

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.

“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.”