Banditry: Secure your forests, FG charges states
The Federal Government yesterday asked states to secure their forest reserves, saying they fall under their purview.
The directive came against the backdrop of the fact that bandits, criminal herdsmen and kidnappers use such reserves as haven for their nefarious activities.
However, Prof. Samuel Erugo, SAN, said since forestry was not listed on the Executive Legislative List, states had powers to legislate on it.
It was recalled that Ondo state governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, drew the nation’s attention to the activities of criminal herdsmen in the state’s forest reserves and used the instrumentality of the reactivated 1969 Cattle Trade Law to evict the herders.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF, Mr. Boss Mustapha, who gave the charge at the first quarter, 2021, meeting of the Forum of the SGF and Secretaries to State Governments, SSGs, in Abuja, said the Federal Government will also strengthen the capacity of the National Parks service to protect Nigeria’s 17 national parks against criminal gangs.
