EXCLUSIVE: Kwara Forest Guards Lament Unpaid Allowances, Lack Of Weapons As Gov AbdulRazaq Gifts Vehicles To Islamic Leaders, Makes N180m Donations | Sahara Reporters

The guards, who said they had been deployed to high-risk areas since December 2025, alleged that the government have failed to meet its welfare obligations, leaving personnel expected to confront armed criminals without adequate support.

Forest guards deployed by the Kwara State Government to tackle insecurity in vulnerable communities have lamented unpaid allowances and inadequate weapons, questioning the government’s priorities amid Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s recent financial commitments to an Islamic organisation in Ilorin.

The guards, who said they had been deployed to high-risk areas since December 2025, alleged that the government have failed to meet its welfare obligations, leaving personnel expected to confront armed criminals without adequate support.

Their complaints have renewed concerns about the welfare and operational readiness of security personnel deployed to tackle banditry, kidnapping and other criminal activities in parts of Kwara State.

“We have been deployed since December 2025, but our allowances remain unpaid. We accepted this assignment because we wanted to help protect our communities, but the government has not fulfilled its obligations to us,” one of the forest guards told SaharaReporters.

“We are expected to confront armed bandits in the forests, yet we do not have the weapons and support we need to do the job safely. How can you send people to fight insecurity without properly equipping them?” the guard added.

The guards said the situation has left personnel worried about their safety, particularly when they encounter criminals armed with sophisticated weapons.

“Our lives are at risk every day. We are the ones going into these dangerous areas, but when it comes to our welfare, nobody seems to care about us. We have families to feed, and we cannot continue working indefinitely without being paid,” one of the personnel said.

They also questioned the state government’s priorities, pointing to AbdulRazaq’s recent financial commitments to Ansarul Islam Society and Islamic education in Ilorin.

“What we do not understand is why the government can announce millions of naira for donations while those of us deployed to protect lives are still complaining about unpaid allowances and a lack of weapons. We are not against supporting religious organisations, but the government should also take care of the people risking their lives for the state,” one of the guards said.

Another guard urged the governor to address their grievances, insisting that they are not asking for special treatment but the basic support required to perform their duties.

“We are only asking the government to pay what it owes us, provide adequate weapons and ensure our welfare. If the government wants us to continue protecting the people, it must also show that our lives and sacrifices matter,” the guard added.

The governor recently announced a package of donations and educational support worth ₦180 million during the centenary celebration of Az-Zumratul Adabiyyah School of Arabic and Islamic Studies in Ilorin on October 11, 2026.

SaharaReporters gathered that the package included ₦50 million donated by the governor to Ansarul Islam Society in his capacity as the Sardauna of Ilorin, another ₦50 million on behalf of his family, ₦50 million from the Kwara State Government to Muhammed Kamaldeen University, Ilorin, and ₦30 million in scholarships for 30 students.

The donation has drawn attention to the contrast between the financial commitments announced for religious education and the allegations by forest guards that their outstanding entitlements and operational needs remain unresolved.

SaharaReporters also observed a viral video showing the governor’s aide delivering cash at a gathering organised by Ansarul Islam Society in Ilorin.

A separate report published on October 16 by Kwara Reporters said the governor’s Special Assistant on Special Duties, Mallam Jidda AbdulRazaq, announced a cash distribution of ₦10,000 each to an estimated 3,000 attendees at a weekly sermon held at Oke-Kere, Ilorin West Local Government Area.

The reported distribution amounted to ₦30 million and came days after the announcement of the ₦180 million donation and educational support package.

AbdulRazaq and the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Salihu Yakubu-Danladi, also attended the gathering, drawing attention amid preparations for the 2027 governorship election.

In August, the governor donated four vehicles to the Chief Imam of Ilorin and the Council of Ulama of the Ilorin Emirate. The vehicles included a new Toyota Prado for Chief Imam Sheikh Muhammad Bashir Dasuki Imam Fulani, a bus for the Council of Ulama, and SUVs for Imam Imale Shaykh Abdullahi AbdulHameed and Imam Gambari Shaykh AbdulAzeez Sulaiman.

The vehicles were presented at the palace of the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari.

The forest guards’ complaints raise questions about whether personnel deployed to confront armed criminals are receiving the necessary financial, logistical and operational support to carry out their assignments safely.

In a previous report done by SaharaReporters which was published in August 2026, forest guards deployed to parts of Kwara and Enugu states were reported to have abandoned their posts or threatened to do so over unpaid salaries, poor welfare and inadequate weapons.

The report said personnel stationed in parts of Kaiama, Patigi and Edu local government areas in Kwara had reportedly begun returning to their bases after spending months in remote communities without adequate support.

Some of the guards alleged that they had gone for more than three months without food or other welfare provisions, forcing them to depend on residents who were themselves struggling economically.

One guard was quoted as saying, “We did not join this work to become beggars. We were deployed here to protect people, but nobody is protecting us.”

The guards also raised concerns about being expected to confront criminal groups armed with more sophisticated firearms while they operated with inadequate weapons and limited access to reinforcements.

The complaints are particularly significant given the security challenges facing rural communities in Kwara, where forest corridors have been linked to attacks by suspected bandits and kidnappers.

In December 2025, the Nigerian Government announced the graduation and deployment of forest guards under the Presidential Forest Guards Initiative, designed to deny terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and other criminal groups safe havens in forests and remote areas.

The Nigerian Government said the initiative was intended to strengthen security operations through collaboration between state governments and relevant security agencies.

However, the guards’ allegations suggest that the effectiveness of the programme may be undermined if personnel are deployed without regular remuneration, adequate welfare and the equipment required to confront armed threats.

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