Addressing newsmen in Abeokuta, the State Commissioner for Forestry, Kolawole Lawal, said the menace of illegal loggers in the state was worrisome and frantic efforts are needed to curb the situation.
‘’Our effort is to ensure that all illegal activities in our forest reserves are curbed. If we cannot stop them completely now, we must ensure that they are reduced to the barest minimum to increase our Internally Generated Revenue drive in the State’’. He said.
The Commissioner revealed that the lorries and trailers were impounded at Omo Forest Reserve areas at Ajebandele, Ogbere, Ijebu-Igbo and Osun gate while perpetrating the illegal acts.
Lawal said the culprits had been exploiting economic trees in the forest reserves without paying into government purse, which has been hindering the regeneration effort of the ministry.
He appealed to illegal timber merchants in the State to desist from act of illegal felling of trees in reserve areas and follow due process.
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