Ogun ejects illegal farmers from forest reserves

In its determination to end the menace of illegal farming inside the state’s nine forest reserves, Ogun State Government says it has burnt several acres of cocoa, cassava and plantain farms in Erinla and Bayesan villages in J4, Ijebu East Area of the state.

It said it carried out a raid on the area and arrested two illegal farmers.

The state Commissioner for Forestry, Tunji Akinosi, who led a taskforce and the management team on an evacuation exercise to rid the reserve of all unwanted crops in Ijebu Area, said it was shocking that farming went on despite suspension on activities in the government’s reserves.

Akinosi said that the present Dapo Abiodun-led administration would not fold its arms and allow the state’s resources to be wasted by some selfish people.

He added that the activities of cocoa and other crop farmers were detrimental to the economic growth and ecosystem development of the state.

He said, “Government will continue to destroy cocoa and other crop farms inside the forest reserves and more arrests will be made. It is certain that those apprehended will be made to face the wrath of the law.

“As good citizens saddled with forest resources management in the state, we will always promote forest regeneration and conservation for economic growth and sustainable ecological conditions to secure a better future.”

The commissioner ordered that the two illegal farmers caught during the exercise, Kehinde Ogundipe and Ojedeji Bamiji, should be handed over to the police at the Ijebu Ode Division for proper prosecution to serve as a deterrent to others.

He told the Baales of Erinla Village, Mr Bashiru Asunmo and Bayesan Village, Mr Kehinde Bayesan, to disallow continuous cocoa and other crop farming in their villages, warning that the government would not condone any form of illegalities in the reserves.