Fans of popular shows like "White Collar," "The Blacklist," and "Leverage" know that watching former criminals work with law enforcement can be very entertaining. While it's rarely put into practice in real life, one national park in Nigeria is the exception.
Okomu National Park, managed by Africa Nature Investors, has recruited former poachers and loggers to reduce illegal activity and preserve the Okomu forest, according to the Star.
With intense economic pressures and a lack of opportunity, illegal hunting and logging became a way to make money. Dozens of trucks moved illegal timber moving before AGI took over in 2022.
AGI trained the hires on human and environmental rights and tested their physical strength and moral integrity. With over 300 recruits at the start, the parks ended up hiring 30.
One of the hires, James Leleghale Bekewei, was excited to make the switch from illegal logger to ranger so he could abandon the lifestyle and earn more money than before.
"We made a lot of arrests," Bekewei said, per the Star. "You can ask my team members, I run very fast."
ANI's park director, Peter Abanyam, confirmed that its rangers have made over 200 arrests in the past two years, per the Star.
As of February 2026, Nigeria has lost 96% of its forests, according to the Nigerian Conservation Foundation. When forests aren't protected, trees cannot help the surrounding areas by absorbing carbon dioxide from the air, providing habitats for wildlife, or regulating temperatures.
Wildlife in this park is also commonly hunted. This includes the vulnerable white-bellied pangolin, as well as the endangered forest elephants and buffalo.
Nigeria is currently grappling with skyrocketing inflation, a cost-of-living crisis, drought-damaged crops, and deforestation caused by neighboring palm oil plantations. To both preserve and protect the environment and local communities, ANI is setting up microfinance programs in partnership with microcredit company Roshan Renewables to prevent future illegal logging and hunting.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
|
Which of these savings plans for rooftop solar panels would be most appealing for you?
Click your choice to see results and earn rewards to spend on home upgrades. |
Save $1,000 this year 💸 Tunde Morakinyo, founder of ANI, hopes that the future of the parks will be ecotourism.
"Our ambition is to have a park which is really well protected, surrounded by a ring of economically prosperous communities, who actively work with us to protect the park," Morakinyo said, per the Star.
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices — and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD's exclusive Rewards Club.
Cool Picks
