In a recent development, the Ogun State Government has instructed 17 communities located in the Ijebu-East/North Local Government Area to leave the elephant conservation area within the Omo Forest Reserve.
As learned by Quest Times, the government labeled these communities as “illegal farmers and timber contractors” and set a deadline for their evacuation by January 15, 2024.
During a meeting held at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, the state Commissioner for Forestry, Taiwo Oludotun, delivered the directive to farmers, village heads, and timber contractors on Wednesday, through a release by the Press Officer, Ministry of Forestry, Luke Adebesin.
Accusing the communities of encroaching on the buffer zones of the forest reserve, Oludotun emphasized the illegality of planting cocoa seedlings within the state’s forest reserves.
He warned that any cocoa seedlings found after the specified exit date would face sanctions.
“The 17 communities identified include Eseke, Tamitami, Bridge, Korede, Fatai, Sojukorodo, Etemi-Gerade, Onigburugburu, Erifun, Aba Alhaja, Erimogan, Ologunna, Ori Apata, Imaba, Apora, Fatai 2, and Yomi Iga,” Oludotun pointed out.
Moreover, the commissioner stressed the government’s commitment to combating illegal activities within the forest reserves and threatened to withdraw the government property hammer from any timber contractor engaged in cocoa plantation within the reserves.
Furthermore, Mr. Timothy Olatunji, the Permanent Secretary, while addressing the issue, urged timber contractors to cooperate with the ministry in curbing “unwholesome activities within the forest reserves.”
Representatives of timber contractors, Kunle Kalejaye, and Alhaja Ranti Bambi, equally expressed dismay at the violation of the government’s directive by some individuals, promising to collaborate with the Ministry to address and prevent such illicit activities.