Personality in Focus
Commander Adesoji Speaks on Forest Guard’s Relevance to Nigeria’s Security Strategy
Across Nigeria’s vast forest belts, ungoverned spaces have increasingly become theatres for violent crime, farmer–herder conflicts, illegal grazing, banditry, arms movement, and environmental crimes. These forests are not isolated wildernesses; they are living corridors linking farms, rural settlements, trade routes, sacred sites, and border communities. As conventional security agencies face mounting pressure, Forest Guards are emerging as a critical but often under-examined layer of Nigeria’s internal security architecture, tasked with early warning, terrain control, community intelligence, and conflict prevention in spaces where insecurity often incubates unseen, National Association of Online Security News Publishers, NAOSNP can report.
Forest Guards operate closest to these fault lines. Their effectiveness, however, depends less on force and more on legitimacy. As was repeatedly emphasised at a recent national training in Osun State, forest security succeeds only when authority is exercised lawfully, professionally, and with the consent of the communities that live and work around forest spaces. Without this foundation, security operations risk collapsing into resistance, intelligence failure, and avoidable violence.
It was against this backdrop that the National Forest Guard Training Camp (“Forest Camp”) in Ila-Orangun, Osun State, hosted a set of strategic lectures in January 2026 aimed at redefining how forest security should be practiced in Nigeria. The sessions brought together recruits, rank-and-file operatives, and ward and sector formations from across the country to interrogate a central operational question: how can Forest Guards enforce the law effectively without becoming a source of fear in already vulnerable rural spaces?
The answer, according to the training, lies in a unified doctrine that places lawful authority, disciplined conduct, and community legitimacy at the heart of forest operations.
Delivered in an intensive 2–3 hour integrated format combining classroom instruction, guided discussion, and field-based application, the lectures focused on Ethics and Professional Conduct in Forest Security Operations and Community Engagement, Conflict Resolution, and Trust-Building in Contemporary Forest Policing.
Ethics as Law, Not Preference
Delivering the lectures, the Commander of the Enugu State Forest Guard (ESFG), Dr. Akinbayo O. Olasoji, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rtd.), framed ethics as a legal obligation rather than a personal choice. He stressed that forest security authority is derived entirely from law and governance frameworks, not from uniforms, weapons, or discretion.
“Ethics in forest security is not a personal value judgment or discretionary behaviour,” he told participants. “It is a binding statutory obligation.”
He anchored this position in existing legal instruments guiding Forest Guard operations, including the Enugu State Forest Guard Law, 2020, the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Enugu State Prohibition of Open Grazing and Regulation of Cattle Ranching Law, 2021, the Firearms Act, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, and the Evidence Act, 2011, alongside public service rules and recognised law-enforcement ethics standards. Reinforcing a core operational doctrine of the ESFG, he declared: “Authority exists only within the law.”
BUILDING SECURITY THROUGH TRUST, NOT FEAR
Beyond legality, the lectures placed strong emphasis on community legitimacy as the foundation of effective forest security. Dr. Olasoji reminded operatives that forests are not empty spaces, but environments connected to daily human activity and livelihoods.
“Forests are not isolated zones,” he explained. “They are linked to farms, settlements, markets, footpaths, and sacred sites. That reality makes community partnership a decisive operational factor.”
According to him, the consequences of poor community engagement are immediate and severe. He warned that mistrust leads to intelligence breakdowns, delayed early warning, increased hostility toward operatives, and the escalation of minor disputes into violent confrontations, outcomes that ultimately endanger officers themselves.
In contrast, he argued, trust transforms communities into security partners. As he put it:
“Community engagement is not weakness; it is operational strength. Trust is a force multiplier. When you win the community, you win the forest.”
NON-NEGOTIABLE STANDARDS OF CONDUCT
The sessions translated ethical principles into concrete operational standards applicable to patrols, checkpoints, arrest support, intelligence handling, and inter-agency cooperation. Participants were reminded that public confidence and mission success rise or fall with officer conduct.
Among the non-negotiable standards reinforced were universal human-rights compliance, lawful and proportionate use of force, zero tolerance for torture, brutality, corruption, extortion, or record falsification, strict confidentiality of operational information and informant protection, and political neutrality.
Human-rights compliance, Dr. Olasoji stressed, “applies to everyone, always,” while the use of force must satisfy “lawfulness, necessity, and proportionality.”
Mandatory reporting of misconduct, supported by whistle-protection safeguards, was also emphasised as an institutional duty rather than an individual risk.
DECISION-MAKING UNDER PRESSURE
To strengthen field judgment, the lectures adopted a practical ethical decision model consistent with international enforcement doctrine: L-N-P-A — Legality, Necessity, Proportionality, Accountability.
Operatives were trained to ask four questions before acting: Is it lawful? Is it genuinely required? Is it the minimum reasonable response? Can it be defended openly, in writing, and before lawful authority?
The guiding rule, as repeatedly emphasised, was uncompromising:
“If you cannot defend it, don’t do it.”
EARLY WARNING AND CONFLICT PREVENTION
A major focus of the engagement lecture was early warning and early response. Participants were trained to identify indicators such as rumour patterns, unusual movement along forest corridors, resource-pressure signals linked to farmer–herder tensions, and enforcement-related triggers capable of igniting rapid conflict.
Forest Guards, Dr. Olasoji explained, are not merely enforcers but stabilisers.
“Forest Guards are peace managers,” he noted, “but they must operate strictly within legal limits.”
A standard dispute-management workflow was reinforced: Assess, Stabilise, Separate, Dialogue, Decide (Enforce or Refer), Document, Report, and Follow-up, with clear thresholds for referral to the Police, DSS, courts, and civil authorities.
HIGH-SENSITIVITY ENFORCEMENT: OPEN GRAZING
Given the sensitivity of open-grazing enforcement nationwide, the lectures stressed that operations must remain calm, law-based, non-discriminatory, and free of harassment, extortion, ethnic profiling, or improper impoundment. Ethical professionalism, participants were told, is central to preventing rural instability and escalation in mixed-use forest zones.
TRAINING, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITY
The sessions employed scenario-based learning, decision drills, and misconduct case studies to ensure practical understanding. Ethics and community-engagement competence were presented as mandatory core requirements, forming part of refresher training and promotion criteria, with completion formally recorded in personnel files.
Responsibility for trust-building was distributed across the command structure, from state and zonal commands to sector, ward, and frontline formations, embedding accountability into institutional culture.
A BROADER NATIONAL LESSON
In one of the most quoted moments of the lectures, Dr. Olasoji told participants:
“A Forest Guard is a trust-bearer, not a power-holder. Uniform and equipment do not create authority; character does. Without integrity, authority collapses.”
Security analysts say the Ila-Orangun engagement underscores a broader national lesson: that sustainable forest security in Nigeria depends less on coercion and more on professionalism, legality, and partnership with communities.
As Nigeria continues to grapple with insecurity across rural and forested regions, the lessons from Ila-Orangun point to a clear conclusion—when Forest Guards operate within the law and with the people, forests shift from being security liabilities to strategic assets in national security management.
By NOMA
The Nigerian Online Media Alliance (NOMA) has celebrated Mr. Olakunle Aderinokun on his 55th birthday, describing him as a distinguished strategic communications expert and media professional whose nearly three-decade career continues to shape Nigeria’s communications and business landscape.
In a statement by Theresa Moses, Chairperson, NOMA highlighted Aderinokun’s current role as Head, Media and Public Relations at Access Holdings Plc, where he leads group-wide media strategy, executive communications, crisis management, and corporate reputation positioning across local and international markets.
The Alliance noted that his ability to align corporate narratives with business strategy, stakeholder expectations, and regulatory realities has strengthened institutional credibility and public trust.
Aderinokun’s career reflects a unique blend of journalism, financial services, and corporate leadership. He spent 24 years at THISDAY Newspapers, rising to the position of Group Business Editor and Associate Editor, where he played a significant role in shaping Nigeria’s business journalism ecosystem. He later served as Editor, Business at ARISE News Channel, further consolidating his reputation for editorial excellence and impactful storytelling.
Throughout his journalism career, he covered critical sectors including banking, capital markets, energy, aviation, and macroeconomics, engaging directly with top policymakers, regulators, and corporate leaders. His extensive international exposure includes participation in global platforms such as the IMF-World Bank Meetings, African Development Bank Meetings, TICAD in Japan, the Nigeria-China Business Forum, Africa Oil Week in Cape Town, and Vaasa Energy Week in Finland.
Beyond journalism, Aderinokun brings strong financial and investment expertise, having worked with United Bank for Africa (UBA) and Wall Street Trust Company (now WSTC Financial Services), where he handled equity analysis, market research, and investment advisory. This foundation, NOMA noted, has enabled him to effectively bridge financial performance with strategic communication outcomes.
An entrepreneur, he founded Pure Synergy Ltd in 2013, a firm focused on reputation management and strategic communications, and later served as CEO of Excite Enterprise Ltd, an online business solutions platform.
In the public sector space, Aderinokun served as Media Adviser to Senator Tokunbo Abiru in 2020, where he led media strategy and publicity for the Lagos East Senatorial campaign, contributing to its successful outcome.
Academically, he holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics (Pure and Applied) from the University of Ilorin and an MBA from the University of Lagos, complemented by executive education at Lagos Business School and professional training with the World Bank Institute, NIPR, and Standard Bank Group, South Africa. He also holds multiple professional certifications across public relations, banking, marketing, and digital communications.
NOMA described him as a quintessential, multifaceted professional whose career embodies excellence, innovation, and leadership.
“Olakunle Aderinokun represents the very best of strategic communication and media practice in Nigeria. His journey is not only inspiring but also instructive for the next generation of professionals navigating the evolving media and corporate landscape,” the statement read.
As he marks his 55th birthday, NOMA commended his enduring contributions and wished him continued success, good health, and greater accomplishments in the years ahead.
The Executive Secretary/CEO of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), Dr. Ayodele Ogunsan, has congratulated the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, on the occasion of his birthday, commending his visionary leadership and reform-driven approach to policing in Nigeria.
In his birthday remarks, Dr. Ogunsan described the IGP as a “distinguished officer whose career has consistently reflected professionalism, courage, and a deep commitment to public safety.”
He noted that since assuming office as the 23rd Inspector-General of Police early this Year 2026, Disu has demonstrated a clear resolve to reposition the Nigeria Police Force towards greater efficiency and public trust.
Dr. Ogunsan particularly praised the IGP’s emphasis on intelligence-led policing, a strategy aimed at enhancing proactive crime detection and prevention, as well as his push for the integration of digital tools and forensic capabilities into police operations. These reforms, he said, signal a shift towards modern, accountable, and citizen-focused policing.
He further highlighted Disu’s decisive steps to strengthen the state policing agenda and officers’ welfare. He praised him for the effective policing model through the restructuring and reduction of tactical units, a move designed to address concerns over excesses while redeploying personnel to police divisions for improved community-level security.
The LSSTF boss also acknowledged the IGP’s consistent advocacy for discipline, integrity, and professionalism within the Force, noting that such values are critical to restoring public confidence and enhancing institutional credibility.
Reflecting on his track record, Dr. Ogunsan recalled Disu’s impactful leadership roles across key commands, including the Rivers State and the Federal Capital Territory Commands, where he contributed significantly to crime control and intelligence-driven operations.
His tenure as the Commander of the Rapid Response Squad in Lagos is a testament to his operational excellence and urban crime management.
Ogunsan wished the IGP good health, wisdom, and continued success in his efforts to build a more secure Nigeria. “On this special occasion, we celebrate not only a remarkable leader but a reformer whose vision continues to inspire confidence in the security architecture of our nation,” Ogunsan said.
Terrorists in northeast Nigeria killed a brigadier general in an assault on a military base, a local government chairman told AFP on Thursday, the second killing of a high-ranking officer in five months.
Africa’s most populous country has been fighting a terrorist insurgency for 17 years, since Boko Haram’s 2009 uprising, which has seen the emergence of powerful splinter groups, including Islamic State West Africa Province.
In an overnight attack, unidentified terrorists killed at least 18 soldiers and torched vehicles at a base in Benisheikh, about 75 kilometres from Borno state capital Maiduguri, an intelligence source told AFP.
“Unfortunately, the brigade commander, Brigadier General O.O. Braimah, lost his life,” Kaga Local Government Chairman Zannah Lawan Ajimi told AFP in a phone interview.
Two intelligence sources confirmed Braimah’s death to AFP.
His death follows the killing of Brigadier General Musa Uba by ISWAP in November. He was the highest-ranking military official to die in the long-running conflict since 2021.
“They overran the brigade,” one of the intelligence sources said, giving the death toll as “at least” 18.
The second intelligence source said that “the terrorists killed several troops” and “burnt vehicles and buildings before they withdrew,” without giving a toll.
The army and Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
– Rising terrorist violence –
Researchers have warned of an uptick of violence since 2025.
Borno capital Maiduguri has seen two suicide bombings since December — the type of bloody, urban attacks reminiscent of the insurgency’s peak a decade ago.
On Wednesday, the US State Department said in a notice it was authorising “non-emergency US government employees” to leave Abuja “due to the deteriorating security situation”.
While the insurgency is concentrated in the northeastern countryside, terrorists from Nigeria and the neighbouring Sahel have made inroads western Nigeria, where organised crime gangs known as “bandits” have been raiding villages and extorting farmers and artisanal miners for years.
Gunmen killed at least 90 people across several remote villages in northwest Nigeria this week, according to an AFP tally of tolls given by local and humanitarian sources.
Among the attacks was an assault in Kebbi state that police blamed a local terrorist group known as Mahmuda, which is affiliated with Al-Qaeda.
Kebbi sits on Nigeria’s border with Benin and Niger and since 2025 has been targeted by a rising number of terrorist attacks.
Conflict monitor ACLED says there has been a surge in violence in the area carried out by militants affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.
In nearby Kwara state, in October, fighters from the Al-Qaeda-affiliated JNIM claimed an attack after years of researchers warning that the terrorist conflict ravaging the Sahel risked spreading south towards coastal West African states.
In December, the United States, with Nigerian assistance, bombed northwest Sokoto state, targeting Islamic State Sahel Province fighters usually found in neighbouring Niger, along with Mali and Burkina Faso.
AFP
