President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of forest guards and commencement of their employment to secure the 1,129 forests in the country.

In a statement on Wednesday, presidential spokesperson, Sunday Dare, revealed that the President directed that the forest guards are to be well trained and armed to perform their duties, which is essentially to flush out terrorists and criminal gangs hiding inside the forests for criminal activities.

According to Dare, the recruitment is a security collaborative effort between the federal and state governments.

“The office of the NSA and the Ministry of Environment have been directed to take charge and ensure full implementation,” he said.

The presidential spokesperson said thousands of young Nigerians are expected to be employed as personnel of the outfit.

“President Tinubu had warned terrorists that his administration would not surrender an inch of the country’s territory to terrorists, bandits, and other criminal gangs operating inside the forests. President Tinubu vowed that the country would take back its forests,” he said.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reportedly sent a letter of invitation to former Niger Delta militant leader, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, over allegations of naira abuse and financial misconduct.

According to sources within the anti-graft agency who spoke with SaharaReporters on Wednesday, the letter was delivered earlier this week, and the commission is now awaiting Tompolo’s response.

The sources clarified that the invitation is procedural and not an arrest warrant, but emphasised its expectation of his cooperation.

“An invitation letter has been sent to Tompolo,” one of the sources said.

This development follows public outrage over a viral video showing Tompolo celebrating what appeared to be his 54th birthday in April. In the footage, which trended widely on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Tompolo is seen dancing while another man sprays him with bundles of ₦1,000 notes — a direct violation of Section 21(3) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act.

The law prohibits the spraying or mutilation of naira notes at social events and prescribes penalties including fines, imprisonment, or both.

Public criticism of the EFCC escalated after the video emerged, with many Nigerians accusing the agency of selective justice. While celebrities like Bobrisky, E-Money, Iyabo Ojo, and comedian AY have faced interrogation or prosecution for similar offences, Tompolo appeared to have been ignored — until now.

The backlash triggered widespread debate over the EFCC’s consistency in law enforcement, especially given Tompolo’s influential role in the Niger Delta and his federal contract to secure oil pipelines.

In a statement on Monday, the EFCC confirmed Tompolo would be investigated, declaring: “Nobody is above the law. Tompolo will have questions to answer.”

Meanwhile, full details of the investigation remain undisclosed.

The Senate on Tuesday, May 14, 2025, decried the absence of Federal Character Principles in sharing of resources and opportunities across the country.

This was made known during the investigative hearing on the implementation of the Federal Character principle in Nigeria’s public sector organises by the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-governmental Affairs.

The Chairman of the Committee, Sen. Allwell Onyesoh in his opening speechnsaid the Federal Character Commission in Nigeria is mandated to ensure fairness and equity in the distribution of public posts and socio-economic opportunities across the nation, promoting national unity and integration. This mandate he bsaid is enshrined in the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigerian as amended- focuses on proportional sharing of resources and opportunities.

“As enshrined in Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Federal Character Principle is fundamental to our national cohesion. It mandates that governance must reflect the diversity of our federation to prevent domination by any one group or region. Sadly, systemic abuse and ineffective enforcement have made this principle more honoured in the breach than in observance.”

Stressing that persistent non-compliance by many MDAs in both recruitment and infrastructure allocation has fueled marginalization and deepened discontent. The Federal Character Commission, despite its legal powers, has struggled with enforcement. This reality calls for urgent reforms, possibly including a Federal Character Compliance Tribunal, to ensure that violations are meaningfully addressed.” He said.

Sen. Allwell call on all stakeholders, MDAs, civil society, and the public to support this process as full cooperation is expected, and the Committee will not hesitate to invoke its constitutional powers under Sections 88 and 89 where necessary.

He warned that the leadership of every agencies must honour their invitation for the investigative hearing because the committee will live no stone unturned in it bid to unravel the ministry behind the lopsided distribution of resources and opportunities in Nigeria.

Senator Seriake Dickson on his part said the creation of Federal Character Commission was for equitable distribution of resources and opportunities across board, thereby giving every region a sense of belonging, but regretted the reality on ground.

Dicksom assured that the committee will unravel the ministry surrounding the unequitable distribution of resources and opportunities andndeals with accordingly.

Also, Sen. Simon Lalong said the aim of the essence of Federal Character is for inclusiveness. Lamenting that the aims and objectives has not been met.

He pointed out that the committee will unfolds a lot of flaws by thorough investigative hearing, while buttressing on the mandate of the commission. And that the committee will carry out their assignment with equity and fairness.

Other senators who also spoke at the hearing corroborated with the committee ‘s Chairman, Sen. Onyesoh and vowed to make sure the committee gets to the roots of it.