Team of Forestry Officials led by Zonal forestry programme officer , assisted by Agro Rangers unit of NSCDC, Osun Command, Ife Timber Contractor’s Task Force and Local hunters stormed F3 Forest Reserve via OLOGAN area of Shasha forest Reserve in Ife where lots of economic trees were illegally flitched.
Gun shots were exchanged during the operations which occured between 16th _ 18th February,2020.
However, some of the illegal flitchers were arrested, among them were Asekunle Rasheed ( Operator ) and Olasupo Nuru ( assistant operator ). One Alhaji Mukaila escaped arrest and he has since been declared wanted for trespassing and conspiring to flitch illegally in the Government Forest Reserve .
Those arrested have been handed over to security operatives for prosecution.
Several economic tree species have been vandalized by the illegal flitchers and over five ( 5 ) truck loads of flitched planks were recovered and same were evacuated to Araromi Oke Odo for safe keeping.
Also, five(5) Motorcycles and four (4) felling machines that were used to perpetrate the illegal act were recovered from the suspects.
The Honourable Commissioner for Environment and Sanitation, Hon. Sola Oladepo, has since given marching orders to officials of Forestry Department to conserve and protect various species of economic trees. He mandated all forest guards, boundary guards and task forces to synergise and arrest and prosecute all illegal operators within the Forest Reserve.