EXCLUSIVE: Forest Guards Abandon Posts, Decry Unpaid Salaries, Hunger, Poor Weapons In Kwara, Enugu
EXCLUSIVE: Forest Guards Abandon Posts, Decry Unpaid Salaries, Hunger, Poor Weapons In Kwara, Enugu The affected operatives said some of them had spent more than three months in remote communities without receiving the welfare support they were promised, forcing them to depend on already impoverished residents for food.
Forest guards in the Nigerian states of Kwara and Enugu have abandoned their posts, citing unpaid salaries, lack of adequate food, and insufficient weaponry. Many guards have spent over three months in remote communities without receiving promised welfare, forcing them to seek sustenance from impoverished locals. Guards deployed to security-challenged areas have threatened to quit, alleging that the government has failed to provide essential support despite deploying them to combat terrorism, banditry, and other armed criminals.
In Kwara, guards reported months of unpaid allowances and lack of food, forcing them to beg for sustenance in the communities they are supposed to protect. Similarly, guards in Enugu have been working without pay since November 2025, despite being initially promised regularization and inclusion in the state's payroll. The guards expressed concerns over the lack of proper weaponry, as many were being tasked with confronting heavily armed criminals.
They questioned the government's decision to deploy them to such hazardous areas without ensuring their basic welfare and adequate equipment.
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