Human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has criticised the Federal Government’s proposed deployment of Forest Guards to help rescue abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State and other parts of the country, describing the idea as evidence of confusion in Nigeria’s security architecture.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television’s Nigeria’s Political Future in Focus programme, Sowore argued that securing forests and protecting citizens should remain the responsibility of existing security agencies such as the police and the military, rather than the creation of new outfits.
He said Nigeria had reached “a level of confusion” in its approach to insecurity, insisting that Forest Guards were not designed to protect people but wildlife, and questioning why such a role was being repurposed for internal security challenges.
Sowore added that if existing agencies are unable to rescue abducted citizens, leadership changes should follow rather than the introduction of additional security structures. He also warned that multiplying security agencies could deepen inefficiency, suggesting that government often responds to failure by creating “more problems than solutions”.
He further argued that instead of expanding security outfits, authorities should focus on strengthening accountability, improving intelligence gathering, and addressing root causes of insecurity such as illegal mining, arms trafficking, religious extremism, and poverty.
The activist also made controversial remarks alleging links between insecurity and political actors, including claims involving the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and individuals brought into the country ahead of the 2015 elections.
Sowore proposed what he described as a “flash” approach to tackling insecurity, combining decisive action against illegal mining and terrorism, tighter control of arms inflows through regions such as Libya, faster judicial processes for terrorism cases, and greater use of technology and special forces in counterterrorism operations.
He also criticised a recent rescue operation in Oyo State that freed the sister of a former Minister of Power and her twin sons, describing it as poorly coordinated and unprofessional in execution.
According to him, a key measure of improved security would be the safe return of internally displaced persons and refugees to their communities, adding that some displacement camps risk becoming breeding grounds for criminal recruitment. He maintained that effective security reform must prioritise intelligence, coordination, and systemic reforms rather than expanding the number of security agencies.
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