KADUNA — A coalition of Northern elder groups has sparked national debate by proposing that the Federal Government award formal security contracts to armed Fulani herdsmen to patrol Nigeria’s restive forests. The elders argue that formalizing the presence of herdsmen as a specialized “Forest Guard” is a necessary step to curb the wave of banditry and mass abductions currently paralyzing the North-West.
In a formal statement issued on Friday, January 23, 2026, the elder groups questioned what they termed a “security double standard” in the Federal Government’s approach to regional instability. They specifically drew a parallel between the billions of naira paid to ex-militants in the Niger Delta for pipeline surveillance and the lack of a similar investment in Northern forest security.
“If the Federal Government can pay billions to ex-Niger Delta militants to guard pipelines, why can’t the government give contracts to armed Fulani herdsmen to guard our forests?” the elders queried. “They are already in the bushes; they know the terrain. By engaging them formally, we can finally have peace.”
The proposal suggests that by integrating herdsmen into a formal security framework, the government could utilize their knowledge of remote areas to flush out criminal bandits while providing a legitimate economic alternative to the nomadic communities. The elders maintained that the current military-heavy approach has failed to secure the vast, unpoliced forest reserves that serve as hideouts for kidnapping syndicates.
The timing of the proposal is significant, coming just days after the January 18 mass abduction of 166 citizens in Kurmin Wali, Kaduna State—an incident that has left the region on high alert. However, the suggestion has met with immediate and sharp criticism from various socio-political organizations across the Middle Belt and Southern Nigeria.
Critics argue that state-sanctioned arming of herdsmen would exacerbate existing communal and religious tensions, with some labeling the move a “recipe for anarchy.” They further pointed out that the Federal Government had already inaugurated a national forest policing initiative in late 2025, which mandated the recruitment of over 7,000 state-monitored forest guards. That program, however, remains stalled due to funding and inter-agency disputes.
As of Saturday, January 24, 2026, the Presidency and the Ministry of Defence have not issued a formal response to the elders’ demand. However, political analysts suggest that the proposal highlights the deepening desperation of Northern stakeholders to find localized solutions to an insurgency that continues to defy traditional military interventions.
