Graduation and Evaluation of Forest Guards

• Event Representation: Speaking at the graduation ceremony for the pioneer batch of Armed Forest Guards, the NSA was represented by Malam Sani Sani, Director of Internal Security at the Office of the National Security Adviser.

• Top-Tier Training: Praising the initiative, Ribadu noted that national evaluations rank Kaduna’s training program as the best in the country, confirming the NSA’s willingness to support additional training requests if desired.

• Rigorous Preparation: The over 1,000 forest guards underwent intensive training covering weapons handling, physical fitness, battle readiness, civil-military cooperation, community relations, and adherence to the rule of law.

• Community Resilience: These beneficiaries are deployed to their home communities to act as first responders and establish a baseline of defense against invading threats before formal security forces arrive.

National Context and Presidential Directive

• Initiative Origin: The NSA recalled that President Bola Tinubu launched the Armed Forest Guard initiative on May 24, 2025, to train locals to secure ungoverned spaces, forests, watersheds, biodiversity, and wildlife.

• Forest Dominance: The guards are designed to create a security network that dominates forested areas and strips criminal elements of freedom of action.

• Strategic Leadership: President Tinubu directed the Office of the National Security Adviser to provide strategic leadership and oversee the nationwide training process.

Governor Uba Sani’s Remarks and Progress

• Call for Expansion: Governor Uba Sani expressed pride in the state’s top-rated program and formally requested an additional 1,000 forest guards, emphasizing that security remains a core priority of his administration.

• Improved Access: Highlighting progress since taking office in 2023, Sani noted that previously inaccessible local governments can now be visited safely without police escorts.

• Turnaround in Frontline Areas: Areas like Birnin Gwari, Giwa, and Kachia that were previously under siege are now experiencing a transformed security landscape due to federal partnership and President Tinubu’s backing.

• Vision for the Future: Reaffirming his commitment, Governor Sani pledged to continue working alongside stakeholders to build a strong, peaceful, and prosperous Kaduna State.

• Location and Damage: Situated in Zagah village near Suntai (Bali Local Government Council), this critical stretch of the highway has worsened over the past two years due to relentless erosion that has washed away a major portion, leaving the remainder on the verge of total collapse.

• Economic Importance: According to DAILY POST, the highway is a vital transportation artery connecting Bali, Takum, Kurmi, Donga, Ussa, Wukari, and the Yantu Special Development Area.

• Daily Reliance: Commuter Biliasu Hassan highlighted that thousands of students, farmers, traders, and transport operators depend on the route daily, emphasizing that a complete failure would severely impact local communities.

• Risk of Isolation: Motorists and locals fear total impassability, drawing comparisons to the severe disruptions caused by the collapse of the Namnai road in Gassol Local Government Council.

Calls for Action and Preventive Measures

• Preventing Disaster: Saminu Usman urged swift government intervention to repair the damage before the highway is entirely destroyed by erosion or lives are lost.

• Technical Demands: Residents are pressing authorities to execute an immediate technical inspection, deploy emergency measures to stop further erosion, and thoroughly reconstruct and reinforce the highway.

• Engineering Solution: An engineer named Vincent emphasized the need for a permanent structural fix to guarantee public safety and prevent future washouts.

• Nighttime Hazards: Monday Sanda, a 17-year veteran driver on the route, shared that the deteriorating state of the highway has transformed driving at night into a terrifying ordeal.

• Livelihood Protection: Stakeholders stressed that acting now will save lives, safeguard economic activities, and cut down future emergency reconstruction expenses.

Atiku’s Response and Political Outlook

• No Direct Reply: In an interview with Punch, Ibe noted that Atiku personally chooses never to respond directly to Obasanjo’s remarks.

• Vindictive Politics: Ibe accused Obasanjo of engaging in vindictive tactics and trying to muddy the waters to undermine Atiku’s 2027 electoral prospects.

• Voters as Deciders: Asserting that Obasanjo only holds a single vote, Ibe maintained that the 2027 election will ultimately be decided by ordinary Nigerians who recognize the former president’s hypocrisy.

Defense of Past Partnership and Criticism of Obasanjo

• Zero Regrets: Despite the ongoing friction, Ibe affirmed that Atiku has no regrets about having worked alongside Obasanjo.

• Questioning Timing: Ibe challenged the timing of Obasanjo’s criticisms, questioning when he allegedly discovered Atiku was a negative figure and whether it stemmed from the fallout of the failed third-term agenda.

• Call for Nobility: While acknowledging Obasanjo’s right to support any candidate of his choice, Ibe criticized his actions as unnoble, noting that rehashing grievances twenty years later is unwarranted, especially given that Atiku performed a fantastic job during their tenure.

• Focus on 2027: Concluding his remarks, Ibe stated that minds are already made up, with Nigerians looking past these distractions because they are determined to chart a new path away from President Bola Tinubu.