Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has issued a 14-day ultimatum to criminals operating in the state’s forest reserves to leave the areas.
The governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Forestry, Bidemi Obayangban, disclosed this during an interview with journalists in Akure on Wednesday.
Obayangban said the directive was aimed particularly at kidnappers and other criminals who have turned the forests into hideouts, stressing that the move formed part of efforts to strengthen security and create an environment suitable for legitimate economic activities.
He explained that security was essential to the state government’s plans to develop the forestry sector, attract investment and protect farmers, timber contractors and other lawful operators.
“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.
According to him, the administration had finalised plans to tackle kidnapping and other criminal activities within the state’s forests.
He added that security agencies and local hunters across Ondo State were working with the government as part of efforts to restore security to the forest reserves.
“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.
Obayangban noted that Governor Aiyedatiwa favoured a discreet and results-driven approach to security matters, but said the administration remained determined to reclaim the forests from criminal elements.
“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.
He further stressed that securing the forests was central to the government’s broader strategy to revive the forestry sector and expand legitimate economic activities.
Obayangban said the administration understood that sustainable economic development would remain difficult in an environment where farmers, investors and other lawful businesses continued to face security threats.