President Bola Tinubu has been urged to take bold and unconventional steps in addressing the persistent insecurity and killings in parts of the country, particularly in Benue State.
Reacting to the recent attacks that left several people dead, hostile environment journalist and Chairman of the Northern Christian Youth Professionals, Isaac Abrak, called on the President to act decisively. In a letter addressed to Tinubu and made available to journalists, Abrak stated: “But we cannot afford to fold our arms in despair. We must act differently. We must try something new, even if it has never been attempted anywhere in the world. For the sake of our people—our children, our farmers, our security personnel—we must do something bold to stop this carnage.”
Abrak noted that opposition to such calls often comes from those far removed from the affected communities. “Many of those who will oppose this letter are not the ones burying loved ones or watching their communities burn. They analyze from afar, removed from the pain. But real solutions come from those who feel the loss, from the hearts of those closest to the suffering. The Forest Guard must be led not by theories, data sheets, or ‘Harvard-trained analysts’ alone—but by those who bleed when our villages bleed,” he said.
Describing his experience as someone who has spent most of his life reporting from conflict zones, Abrak decried the recurring attacks across the Middle Belt, especially in Benue. He acknowledged the efforts of the military and other security agencies, but lamented that the attacks continue to claim innocent lives despite their interventions. “Each time our forces strike a blow against the perpetrators, they appear to retreat briefly—only to re-emerge with even greater violence, targeting our most vulnerable: poor, innocent rural dwellers,” he said.
Abrak commended Tinubu for approving the establishment of the Armed Forest Guard, describing it as a potentially transformative initiative. “We believe that this Forest Guard has the potential to work—100 percent. Why? Because history in Nigeria has already shown us the way,” he said.
He recalled how the introduction of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) under Tinubu’s administration helped reform misdirected youth and improved urban management. He also cited the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) in Borno State as a successful model of community-driven security, where local youths became a formidable force against Boko Haram.
Abrak emphasized that the perpetrators of the violence are often not outsiders but individuals within the affected communities. “Whether they are Fulani, Tiv, or from any other ethnic group, they are either complicit or, at the very least, enabling the violence,” he said.
To make the Forest Guard initiative effective, he recommended that it be community-driven, recruiting local hunters, ex-servicemen, and others with a strong sense of responsibility to their people. He insisted that if implemented with sincerity, the initiative would succeed just as similar models have in the past.
Anticipating criticism, Abrak urged President Tinubu to remain steadfast in his leadership. “Of course, there will be critics—there always are. Many will see only the challenges and not the possibilities. But you have shown time and again that real leadership is about confronting problems, not running from them. I was in Lagos and witnessed firsthand how you stood firm in the face of criticism to birth innovations that have since transformed lives,” he said.
