The Northern Christian Youth Professionals (NCYP) has urged the Northern Nigeria Security Trust Fund (NNSTF) to serve as the financial backbone for the proposed Forest Guard Initiative and the establishment of State Police, warning that the region will remain exposed to insecurity if any state lacks adequate security capacity.
The group made the call on Thursday while congratulating the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) on the inauguration of the Board of Trustees of the NNSTF, describing the initiative as a major milestone in the region’s efforts to tackle insecurity through collective action.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Isaac Abrak, the NCYP noted that the commitment by the 19 Northern states to contribute ₦1 billion monthly each to the Trust Fund would generate about ₦19 billion every month and approximately ₦228 billion annually, making it one of the largest regionally funded security initiatives in Nigeria.
It, however, stressed that the success of the Fund should be measured not by the volume of resources mobilised but by tangible improvements in security across the region.
According to the organisation, the Trust Fund should be deployed to reclaim and secure forests, protect vulnerable communities, strengthen intelligence gathering, restore public confidence and stimulate economic activities in areas affected by insecurity.
The NCYP congratulated the Co-Chairmen of the Board of Trustees, former Minister of Defence, Mahmud Yayale Ahmed, and former Chief of Defence Staff, General Martin Luther Agwai (retd.), expressing confidence that their experience would help position the Fund as a catalyst for lasting peace and stability.
The organisation said the establishment of the NNSTF provides Northern political leaders, traditional rulers, elders and other stakeholders with an opportunity to demonstrate collective ownership of the region’s security challenges.
It argued that Northern Nigeria could no longer depend solely on federal security institutions to combat threats originating from communities, forests and other ungoverned spaces. “Lasting peace cannot depend solely on central security institutions; it requires taking security closer to the people, where threats first emerge, intelligence is first gathered and criminal activities can be disrupted before they develop into larger security crises,” the statement said.
The group welcomed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Forest Guard Initiative and renewed advocacy for the creation of State Police, particularly championed by Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, describing both initiatives as complementary pillars of a modern, multi-layered security architecture.
It explained that while the Forest Guard would secure forests and other ungoverned areas often used as operational bases by terrorists, bandits and kidnappers, State Police would strengthen community policing, intelligence gathering and rapid emergency response.
The NCYP urged the Trust Fund to establish dedicated intervention programmes for the expansion and professionalisation of Forest Guard formations across the North, noting that implementation remained uneven, with several states yet to commence the initiative.
It also called on the Fund to prepare for the eventual establishment of State Police by supporting professional state commands once the necessary constitutional and institutional frameworks are in place.
According to the organisation, such support should cover personnel training, welfare, operational vehicles, communications equipment, intelligence infrastructure, surveillance technology and other logistics required for effective policing.
The group further advocated coordinated planning, intelligence sharing, interoperability and regular joint exercises involving Forest Guards, future State Police Commands and existing federal security agencies.
Warning against uneven security development across the region, the NCYP said criminal groups exploit weak security structures across state boundaries. “Terrorists, bandits and kidnappers do not recognise state boundaries. They move towards areas where security gaps exist,” the statement noted.
It added that “the security of Northern Nigeria is only as strong as the security of its weakest state.”
The organisation commended President Tinubu for initiating the Forest Guard programme and praised Governor Uba Sani for championing State Police and commencing the training of pioneer Forest Guard recruits in Kaduna State.
It also applauded the Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum and Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, alongside other Northern governors, traditional rulers, eminent elders and members of the NNSTF Board of Trustees for what it described as decisive leadership at a critical period.
The NCYP urged the Board to anchor the management of the Trust Fund on transparency, accountability, measurable outcomes and regional cooperation.
It maintained that the NNSTF should evolve beyond funding isolated security interventions to become the foundation of an integrated regional security framework capable of protecting lives, securing livelihoods and creating the conditions for sustainable economic recovery across Northern Nigeria.
The organisation disclosed that it would soon release a comprehensive policy memorandum outlining detailed recommendations on how the Trust Fund could support the expansion of the Forest Guard Initiative, facilitate the eventual establishment of State Police and strengthen grassroots security across the region.
