Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has given kidnappers and other criminal elements operating in the state’s forest reserves 14 days to vacate the forests.
The Punch reported the governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Forestry, Bidemi Obayangban, disclosed this on Wednesday during an interview with journalists in Akure, the state capital.
Obayangban said the directive was aimed particularly at kidnappers and other criminals who use the forests as hideouts, stressing that restoring security was necessary for legitimate economic activities to thrive in the state.
He said the government was working with security agencies and hunters across Ondo State as part of efforts to tackle kidnapping and other criminal activities in the forest reserves.
“A vision without maximum security to ensure the safety of investors, farmers, timber contractors and those conducting legitimate business across Ondo State’s forest reserves is effectively meaningless,” he said.
Obayangban said the Aiyedatiwa administration had finalised plans to confront criminal activities in the forests and reclaim the areas from criminal elements.
“Consequently, the primary focus of the Aiyedatiwa administration is to flush out criminal elements from our forests. We are taking the battle directly to them.
“The government is fully committed to this objective and has finalised comprehensive plans to eliminate kidnapping and other illegal activities within our borders,” he said.
He noted that the governor had adopted a discreet and action-oriented approach to security matters but remained determined to restore safety across the state’s forest reserves.
“I am using this opportunity to announce that the state government is giving these individuals 14 days to vacate Ondo State forests.
“Failure to comply will result in them meeting their Waterloo,” he said.
Obayangban added that securing the forests was also essential to the government’s plan to revitalise the forestry sector, attract investors and create an environment where farmers, timber contractors and other legitimate operators could conduct their businesses safely.
