A member of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Sola Adams, on Thursday raised the alarm that roaming elephants had destroyed farmlands and also injured a farmer in the Itashin area in Ijebu East Local Government Area of the state.
Adams, who represents Ijebu East constituency, said this under personal explanation during the plenary in Abeokuta.
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In 2018, a herd of elephants migrated from the Omo Forest Reserve into Itashin forest, a border community between Ogun and Lagos States.
Following the migration, the wild animals have been roaming around, destroying farmlands in the area.
Last year, a 10-year-old male elephant died in the area having sustained injuries from a gunshot allegedly fired by hunters.
Responding, the Speaker, Olakunle Oluomo, condemned the invasion by elephants and cautioned the people to stop further encroachment to the natural habitat of elephants in the area.
He said the elephants’ incursion into the town required that the state ministries of agriculture and forestry engage the Nigerian Conservative Foundation towards preserving the species and the entire ecosystem.
