A civil society organisation, Speak Out for Justice Advocacy Ltd./GTE (SOJA), has appealed to the Federal Government to grant amnesty to members of the Forest Guards currently facing prosecution over alleged illegal security operations and unlawful possession of firearms.
In a statement issued on Friday in Abuja, the Executive Director of the organisation, Hameed Jimoh, urged the government to rehabilitate and integrate the affected individuals into Nigeria’s formal security framework instead of subjecting them to criminal prosecution.
The appeal follows reports that the Federal Government filed a seven-count criminal charge against some leaders of the Forest Guards linked to the Nigeria Forest Security Service (NFSS), over alleged unauthorised security activities and possession of locally made pistols.
While acknowledging the Federal Government’s constitutional responsibility to regulate arms and safeguard national security, SOJA argued that the prosecution should not overshadow the urgent need for innovative measures to tackle the country’s worsening insecurity.
According to the group, Nigeria continues to face severe security threats, including terrorism, kidnapping, banditry and violent attacks on communities across several states and the Federal Capital Territory.
SOJA noted that growing insecurity and inadequate protection in remote and forest communities had compelled many citizens to rely on self-help initiatives and community-based security arrangements.
The organisation stated that reports indicated the weapons allegedly recovered from the Forest Guards were being used to provide protection for individuals, public institutions and private organisations in vulnerable areas.
It maintained that although such activities may have fallen outside existing legal provisions, they appeared to have been driven by attempts to bridge security gaps in underserved communities.
Drawing parallels with previous Federal Government reintegration programmes for repentant insurgents and former combatants, SOJA argued that fairness and consistency required a similar approach for the Forest Guards.
The group therefore called on the Attorney-General of the Federation to review and withdraw the charges against the affected persons.
It also urged the government to establish a formal framework for screening and verifying members of the group, retraining qualified personnel, and deploying them within the nation’s security structure to support intelligence gathering and anti-banditry operations.
According to SOJA, individuals with deep knowledge of forest terrains and local communities could become valuable assets in the fight against terrorism, kidnapping and organised crime if properly regulated and supervised.
The organisation further stressed that national security policies should not focus solely on punishment but should also consider reform, rehabilitation and constructive engagement where public interest would be served.
The controversy comes amid increasing national debate over the role of local vigilante groups and community-based security outfits in addressing Nigeria’s persistent security challenges.
While some stakeholders have advocated stronger collaboration between formal security agencies and grassroots security groups, others have expressed concerns over the proliferation of armed non-state actors operating outside government control.
As insecurity continues to place pressure on security resources nationwide, discussions over whether community security groups should be formalised, regulated or prosecuted are expected to remain central to Nigeria’s evolving security discourse.
