Primate Ayodele Urges FG to Establish Forest Guards, Says States Should Not Control Initiative

Primate Ayodele Urges FG to Establish Forest Guards, Says States Should Not Control Initiative

Lagos, Nigeria – September 12, 2025 — The Founder of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has called on the Federal Government to establish Forest Guards as a national security measure to protect Nigeria’s forests and curb rising cases of kidnapping and banditry.

Speaking on Friday at Seme, Lagos State, Primate Ayodele stressed that the initiative should be centrally managed by the Federal Government rather than state governments to ensure effectiveness and uniformity across the country.

“Let the government adopt Forest Guards in order to prevent kidnapping and banditry,” he said. “It must be a Federal Government project. Forest Guards must not be left to the states so they can truly help stabilize the country’s security situation.”

The cleric emphasized that forest protection has become critical in the fight against insecurity, insisting that the federal structure is better positioned to provide the resources, coordination, and oversight required for the scheme to succeed.

“Forest Guards will contribute significantly to the stability of security in the country,” Primate Ayodele added, urging the Federal Government to prioritize the initiative without delay.