Don’t turn forests to burial grounds, Ogun govt tells settlers

The Ogun State Government has warned settlers in the state’s forest against burying their dead people in the reserves.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Forestry, Dr Olurotimi Akinlesi, handed down the warning at a meeting with baales and farmers at J6 in Ijebu East LGA.

He said although the act was usually perpetrated by people from neighbouring states, it was often with the connivance of indigenes.

He explained that, “Forest reserves are for tree planting and not burial. The ministry will do everything within the ambit of the law to protect them.”

Akinlesi, therefore, enjoined the balees and farmers to allow peace to reign, saying the government would not condone any act of lawlessness in whatever form in any part of the state where reserves were located.