The Kwara State Government has commenced training of 2,600 new forest guards designed to prepare them for joint field operations with security agencies in the state and environs.
Penpushing reports that the move comes after a run of violent incidents in Kwara’s forested belt, while it is recalled that on November 19, 2025, armed men stormed Christ Apostolic Church Oke Isegun in Eruku and kidnapped more than 30 worshippers, killing three.
The gunmen in same vein, on November 24, 2025, attacked Isapa, a neighbouring community, abducting 11 residents, including a pregnant woman and several children, and days later, Oba of Bayagan Ile, Kamildeen Abdul Salam, was reported missing after leaving home for his farm.
Penpushing further reports that in same trend the bandits seized a farmer along Koro Road on Sunday in another attack linked to armed groups operating through the forests.
The officials at the training facility said the new forest guards have recorded steady progress since the programme began, pointing out that the sessions, which cover basic tactics and field readiness, will support the work of military and police units currently patrolling the affected corridors.
Penpushing also reports that the government explained that, more than 700 forest guards have already been trained and deployed across the state to reinforce surveillance and help prevent reclaimed areas from reverting to the control of criminal networks.
The government added that this model is meant to complement ongoing military operations to clear ungoverned spaces and block the movement of kidnappers who use the forest routes to strike rural communities.
Penpushing reports that the authorities maintained that the expanded recruitment and training are part of a coordinated approach to stabilise vulnerable districts and ensure that residents can return to their routines without fear.
The Senior Special Assistant on new media to the Governor Olayinka Fafoluyi, however, disclosed that Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Monday visited the training ground in Ilorin, marking another phase in the state’s efforts to contain the rise in rural insecurity.
Penpushing further reports that he said presence of the Governor was meant to encourage the recruits and reaffirm the administration’s commitment to restoring calm in communities troubled by recent attacks.
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