Aiyedatiwa gives kidnappers 14 days to leave Ondo forests

By Boye Oyeyemi

Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has given kidnappers and other criminal elements operating in the state’s forest reserves 14 days to vacate the areas.

The governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Forestry, Bidemi Obayangban, disclosed this while speaking with journalists in Akure on Wednesday, warning that security agencies would move against those who fail to comply.

Obayangban said the directive was aimed at reclaiming the forest reserves from criminals and restoring security for farmers, investors, timber operators and other legitimate businesses.

He explained that the government had concluded plans to tackle kidnapping and other illegal activities in the forests, stressing that security was critical to its efforts to develop the forestry sector.

According to him, security agencies and local hunters across the state were working with the government to rid the forests of criminal elements and make them safe for lawful activities.

“The primary focus of the Aiyedatiwa administration is to flush out criminal elements from our forests. We are taking the battle directly to them,” Obayangban said.

He added that the governor had adopted a discreet but action-oriented approach to security, assuring that the administration was determined to protect those who use the forests for legitimate purposes.

Obayangban warned that criminals who failed to heed the 14-day directive would face security operations, saying the government would not allow insecurity to frustrate efforts to revitalise the forestry sector and attract investment.