By James Ogunnaike

The Ogun State government has directed 17 communities in Ijebu East local government area of the state to vacate the elephant conservation area in the Omo Forest Reserve.

The communities the government tagged “illegal farmers and timber contractors” were ordered to vacate the area on or before January 15, 2024.

The State Commissioner for Forestry, Taiwo Oludotun, was said to have given the order during a meeting with farmers, village heads and timber contractors at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

READ ALSO: Ogun Police dock Egba High Chief, others for stealing, malicious damage

Oludotun, in a statement by the Press Officer, Ministry of Forestry, Luke Adebesin, yesterday, accused the communities of encroaching on the buffer zones of the forest reserve.

According to the Commissioner, “the 17 communities are: 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 planting cocoa seedlings within the state’s forest reserves was illegal, warning that any cocoa seedlings found within the forest after the exit date would be duly sanctioned.

“The State Ministry of Forestry will not fold its arm and allow illegalities to continue within its forest reserves, any timber contractor found to be involved in cocoa plantation within the reserves, the government property hammer of such contractor will be withdrawn’’, he said.

Vanguard