Yobe Deploys 1,886 Trained Forest Guards to Support War Against Boko Haram — Security Adviser
By: Zagazola Makama
The Yobe State Government says no fewer than 1,886 trained forest guards have been recruited, armed and deployed to support ongoing military operations against Boko Haram insurgents in the state.
The Special Adviser on Security Matters to the Yobe State Government, Brig Gen Dahiru Abdulsalam,(rtd), disclosed this during an interview with defence correspondents in Damaturu on Tuesday
He said the deployment of the forest guards was aimed at complementing the efforts of troops of Operation HADIN KAI, local hunters and other security agencies in blocking operational gaps exploited by terrorists across remote communities and forest corridors.
According to him, Yobe has remained at the forefront of the insurgency since the emergence of the extremist movement in Kanama in 2003, when the group was initially referred to as the “Nigerian Taliban,” before the full-scale insurgency began in 2009.
He explained that the insurgency intensified in Yobe from 2011, forcing the state government at the time to shoulder a significant part of the operational burden, including payment of troop allowances, logistics support, rations and provision of operational vehicles.
“From 2011 to 2015, the state government solely supported many aspects of the operation because the initial federal attention was largely concentrated on Borno State,” he said.
The adviser noted that the military campaign had evolved over the years from Joint Task Force Restore Order to Operation Zaman Lafiya, Operation Lafiya Dole and now Operation HADIN KAI, with each transformation aimed at injecting new operational energy into the counterinsurgency campaign.
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He identified seven local government areas in Yobe East Senatorial District — Gulani, Gujba, Damaturu, Tarmuwa, Bursari, Yusufari and Geidam — as the areas most affected by insurgent activities due to their proximity to Borno State and trans-border routes linked to Chad, Niger and Cameroon.
According to him, Boko Haram elements mostly infiltrate Yobe from neighbouring areas in Borno to carry out attacks before retreating.
“Apart from the Bulabulin Forest in Yusufari Local Government Area, where there is a known Boko Haram presence, there are no major insurgent camps inside Yobe State,” he stated.
The adviser praised the military, Department of State Services (DSS), hunters and vigilante groups for their coordinated efforts in containing insurgent movements and logistics supply chains.
He said the hunters’ groups had become highly effective due to operational exposure and collaboration with the military, enabling them to conduct deep penetration operations into terrorist enclaves.
“They now carry out stealth operations disguised as traders or locals, strike Boko Haram elements and safely return. They have recorded tremendous successes,” he said.
He also credited the current Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, and the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, for supporting community-based security initiatives.
According to him, Oluyede personally sponsored about 200 local hunters by providing logistics, allowances, feeding and operational equipment to strengthen security coverage in vulnerable areas.
The adviser stressed that the vast terrain of Yobe made it impossible for conventional troops alone to effectively dominate all vulnerable areas, making the support of hunters and forest guards indispensable.
He said the newly recruited forest guards had already been armed, placed on salary structures and deployed to support surveillance and combat operations in identified flashpoints.
He added that the state government also maintains welfare support for families of fallen security volunteers and local hunters assisting the military.
According to him, families of slain personnel receive immediate financial support, healthcare coverage and empowerment programmes, while qualified dependants are considered for employment opportunities within state agencies.