By Boluwaji Obahopo

LOKOJA—Kogi State Forestry Taskforce has apprehended 23 trucks loaded with logs of wood cut without the permission of the state government.

The state Commissioner for Environment, Mrs Rosemary Osikoya, disclosed this at the weekend during the parade of the suspects by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC.

Gov. Yahaya-Bello of Kogi State

Osikoya said activities of the suspects were contrary to the stand of the state government which placed a ban on burning and indiscriminate felling of trees.

She said the state governor, Yahaya Bello, had in March placed the ban on illegal forest activities and as well set up the forestry taskforce in April to enforce the ban on deforestation in the state.

She pointed out that the taskforce, in collaboration with men of Nigeria Police Force and NSCDC, was able to apprehend the 23 trucks loaded with wood.

“Before May 20, 2016, 17 vehicles were arrested by Police, while five others were arrested by men of Civil Defence; and one truck was also apprehended at Okpo in Olamaboro local government area of the state,” she said.

Kogi State, command, Mr. Ibrahim Usman, who paraded the suspects and their trucks, said the arrest was at the instance of the state government total ban on falling of trees in the forest across the state.

“Nobody is allowed to go into the forest for the purpose of burning or cutting trees without an approval from the government,’’ she said.

He, however, charged youth in the state to always indulge in legitimate business instead of going against government laws.