Seventeen(17) communities in Ijebu East local government area of Ogun State has been ordered to leave the elephant conservation area located in the Omo Forest Reserve by the state government.
The communities that the government labeled as "illegal farmers and timber contractors" had until January 15, 2024, at the latest, to leave the area.
According to reports, the directive was made by State Commissioner for Forestry Taiwo Oludotun in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, at a meeting with farmers, village chiefs, and timber contractors.
Oludotun accused the villages of invading the forest reserve's buffer zones in a statement released yesterday by Luke Adebesin, the press officer for the Ministry of Forestry.
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 warned that any cocoa seedlings discovered within the forest beyond the departure date will be properly sanctioned, pointing out that it is unlawful to grow cocoa seedlings within the state's forest reserves.
“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found to be involved in cocoa plantation within the reserves, the government property hammer of such contractor will be withdrawn’’, he said.
