By Sam Biodun Ogundipe in London

The Kogi State Government will on Saturday formally commission 530 newly trained personnel of the Nigeria Forest Security Service (NFSS) in a Passing Out Parade (POP) billed to hold at the Muhammadu Buhari Civic Centre in Lokoja.

The event, scheduled for Saturday August 1, 2026, at 10 a.m., will be conducted by the state’s Chief Servant, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, according to a public announcement released by the Office of the State Security Adviser.

The newly trained Forest Guards are expected to be deployed to reinforce ongoing efforts to secure the state’s forests, which security officials say have increasingly been exploited by criminal elements to carry out attacks and other illicit activities.

In the announcement, the Office of the State Security Adviser described the parade as a milestone in the administration’s continuing campaign against insecurity, noting that the graduating personnel have undergone training that prepares them to build on gains already recorded across the state.

In the Press announcement signed by Commander Jerry Omodara (rtd), the Kogi State Security Adviser, made it known that the commissioning and deployment of the kogi state Forest guards formed part of a broader push by the state government to reclaim forested areas from criminal use and strengthen protection for residents