The Taraba State Government has revealed that personnel of the Forest Guard are fully ready for deployment to flush out criminal elements, but the initiative is currently stalled due to delays in federal funding, arms distribution, and operational logistics.

The Special Adviser to Governor Agbu Kefas on Security and Intelligence, Colonel J. G. Kwelle (rtd), disclosed this, clarifying that the Forest Guard is a federal program rather than a state-owned outfit.

Colonel Kwelle dismissed public claims that the security outfit is ineffective or completely non-existent. He explained that any perceived absence or lack of visibility stems directly from the ongoing delay in full resource deployment. Despite these setbacks, the recruited personnel remain highly active and are currently engaged in preliminary security duties.

Furthermore, Kwelle corrected local misconceptions regarding the operational mandate of the agency. He emphasized that the personnel are not legally structured to protect agricultural farmlands or manage communal farming disputes.

The primary responsibility of the Forest Guard is strictly focused on surveillance within designated forest reserves to ensure that armed groups, bandits, and other criminal syndicates cannot establish permanent operational hideouts in these remote environments.

Securing these ungoverned, densely forested spaces remains a critical pillar of Nigeria’s current national security architecture, as many active armed networks consistently utilize the deep vegetation as safe havens to plan and launch attacks. The state government maintained that once the federal authorities release the necessary arms and logistical support, the operatives will be fully deployed to secure these vulnerable corridors.