The Executive Chairman of the Edo State Committee on Forestry, Chief Lucky Eriyo, said the State has lost a large chunk of its forest reserves and economic trees to? illegal logging, bush burning and? felling of trees by farmers.
The chairman, who spoke with LEADERSHIP, said the continuous deforestation of Edo State’s rich forest reserves was not only an environmental disaster in the near future but a huge revenue loss to the State government.
He therefore warned? the people especially farmers on the dangers of bush burning and illegal felling of trees and urged them to report to the nearest police station or the committee’s office anyone suspected to be involved in illegal logging.
He said illegal loggers who? continually fells trees and transport them through the waterways in the forest had completely destroyed Edo State forest reserves with reckless abandon, saying that the state was losing a lot of revenue through their activities especially in the deep forest.
On why his committee could not curb their activities, Eriyo said the task force committee has a lot of challenges in combating the activities of these illegal loggers who he said are well equipped and armed with dangerous weapons.
According to him, “If you investigate all the crimes? happening round the city, you will see that it is the? illegal loggers that are the one perpetrating them in collaboration with other criminals; they stay in the bush both day and night and are always armed to the teeth and to confront them you have to be armed too.”