Edo State Launches 1,000-Man Forest Guard Offensive to Reclaim Forests and Farmlands

The Edo State Government has begun recruiting 1,000 forest guards in a sweeping security operation designed to flush out kidnappers, bandits, and other criminal groups using the state’s forests and rural corridors as hideouts. The move directly targets the rising threat to farmers, commuters, and border communities that have faced repeated attacks in recent years.

Commissioner for Public Security and Safety, Hon. Festus Ebea, confirmed that 500 forest guards have already been recruited and are undergoing training. An additional 500 personnel will be engaged following approval from the Office of the National Security Adviser, bringing the total force to 1,000. The guards will be deployed across forests and vulnerable border communities, with operational bases established deep within forest reserves to enable real-time surveillance and rapid response.

The deployment plan prioritizes areas with a history of infiltration and attacks. Special attention will be given to border corridors linking Edo with Kogi, Ondo, and Delta states. Akoko-Edo, Etsako East, and Etsako West local government areas are also on the priority list due to recurring security challenges. Akoko-Edo will receive heightened cover because of its vast mineral deposits, while the Ovia axis will be closely monitored after reports of criminals using waterways to access communities and carry out abductions.

Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration has simultaneously engaged 300 members of the Edo State Security Corps in each of the 18 local government areas, totaling 5,400 personnel, to reinforce the state’s overall security framework. This complements the forest guard initiative and ongoing military operations. The 4 Brigade Nigerian Army recently conducted “Operation KO SALO,” raiding forests in Owan East, Esan North-East, and Esan South-East, arresting 12 suspected kidnappers and collaborators.

Edo’s Special Security Squad, codenamed “Operation Flush Out Cultists and Kidnappers,” has been conducting large-scale bush-combing exercises. Recent sweeps in Ovia North-East, Esan North-East, Esan West, and Esan South-East uncovered abandoned kidnappers’ camps in Ugboha forest and recovered two locally made double-barrel guns and one live cartridge in Osa-Somba and Idunwingie. Special focus was placed on the Benin–Akure Road corridor after passengers of New Edo Line transport were kidnapped there. Operatives are deploying drones, military personnel, and advanced surveillance to sustain pressure on criminal elements.

Officials say the guards will work from offices located inside Edo forests, leveraging local knowledge to track movements and dismantle networks. The Commissioner noted that arrested suspects have confessed to being housed by local accomplices who move victims into the bush “like cows” after abductions. By embedding trained personnel in forest communities and border zones, the state aims to cut off the routes and safe havens that kidnappers rely on.

The National Security Adviser has confirmed deployment of over 7,000 forest guards across pilot states, with personnel recruited from their local government areas to apply community networks against banditry and kidnapping. In Edo, the African Nature Investors Foundation is also training agro-rangers for Okomu National Park, citing forests becoming hideouts for criminals as a key driver.

With 1,000 forest guards entering the terrain, backed by military sweeps, drone surveillance, and community intelligence, Edo State is signaling that its forests will no longer serve as operational bases for kidnappers. The message from government and security forces is consistent: criminal elements must leave the state or face decisive action.