Edo orders arrest of 2 illegal wood loggers

Edo State Government has ordered the arrest and prosecution of a syndicate of illegal wood loggers, who were allegedly, felling and transporting logs of wood in breach of government’s order terminating permits on wood logging and outlawing such operations for environmental reasons.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Security and Surveillance, Comrade Emmanuel Orukpe, said this when he paraded two persons, identified as Isaiah Kadiri and Victor Oboh, who were part of the syndicates with fake permits in the Irrua part of the state.

He said the duo ran foul of an order proscribing activities of wood loggers and others who encroach on government reserved areas to fell trees, thereby indiscriminately depleting the state’s forest reserve.

According to him: “We have here two persons, who we caught transporting trees that were felled using illegal permit. Mr. Isaiah Kadiri is the operator and Victor Oboh, who claims to be the driver.

“We caught them after receiving intelligence report that some people were carrying logs of wood suspected to have been felled illegally. We swung into action, called a police officer in the Irrua axis and got them arrested.

He warned those still involved in the business to desist from doing so, as the team of surveillance and security personnel are on the look out for those who still engage in illegal felling of trees.