Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State visited the training ground for the newly recruited 2,600 additional forest guards in Ilorin on Wednesday to assess the progress of their ongoing “multifaceted training.”
The governor’s visit and his address to the prospective guards and their instructors underscore his administration’s continued commitment to improving the security of lives and property, particularly in rural areas.
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The governor’s presence at the facility is intended to boost the morale of the trainees and reassure residents, especially those affected by recent threats, that concrete steps are being taken to enhance safety and restore calm.
Officials at the training centre reported that the recruits have shown steady progress since the programme began, stating that the hands-on sessions are effectively preparing them for deployment and field operations.
This new batch of 2,600 guards is part of a larger security initiative.
The statement notes that the AbdulRazaq-led administration has already recruited and trained over 700 forest guards in basic military tactics, who are currently working with security agencies.
The core role of the forest guards will be to complement the efforts of the military by ensuring that ungoverned forest areas, once cleared by the military, remain unsafe for criminal elements.
This coordinated strategy is aimed at preventing bandits and kidnappers from returning to hideouts previously used to launch attacks on innocent residents.
The recruitment follows a surge in insecurity across the state. The New Daily Prime earlier reported that 38 church worshippers were abducted in Eruku, in the Ekiti Local Government Area.
At the time of press, the victims had reunited with their families after spending more than a week in Ilorin receiving medical attention.
They were rescued through a coordinated operation involving the Federal Government, the Kwara State Government, and the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA).
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All 38 individuals were handed over to the Executive Chairman of Ekiti Local Council, Gabriel Awelewa, in Ilorin.
In recent weeks, the state has also recorded several other cases of kidnapping and killings.
