Nigeria’s escalating insecurity crisis continues to undermine state authority, socio-economic growth, and community resilience. Conventional responses led by the military and federal police have struggled to address the localized and multi-dimensional nature of violence, particularly in forested and rural areas. This research investigates the potential of Forest Guards and community policing as sustainable approaches to mitigating insecurity in Nigeria. Using a mixed-methods approach that combines statistical data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the Nigeria Security Tracker (NST), and reports from civil society organizations with qualitative insights from selected state-level case studies, the paper evaluates the effectiveness of community-driven security mechanisms. Findings indicate that between 2019 and 2024, Nigeria experienced a 45% increase in kidnapping incidents, with ungoverned forest spaces serving as operational bases for armed groups. Forest-related conflicts, including farmer–herder clashes, accounted for more than 8,000 deaths within the same period. Community policing initiatives in states such as Lagos, Kano, and Enugu demonstrated a reduction in urban crime rates of up to 20%, while reactivated Forest Guard units in Ondo and Ekiti disrupted forest-based criminal networks. Despite these successes, challenges such as weak coordination, underfunding, and political interference limit effectiveness. The study concludes that Forest Guards and community policing can complement national security agencies by providing grassroots intelligence, localized enforcement, and trust-building with communities. Policy recommendations emphasize the need for a clear legal framework, adequate funding, integration with existing security institutions, and depoliticization of recruitment processes. Strengthening these community-based strategies could contribute significantly to reducing
insecurity and advancing sustainable development in Nigeria.
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