The Kano State Ministry of Environment and Climate Change has secured the conviction of four suspects for illegal tree felling in Sharada Municipal of the State.
The ministry disclosed this in a statement shared on its social media account on Monday, August 25.
The defendants, including Jibril Adamu and three others, were found guilty following a thorough legal process.
The statement stated, “The defendants were prosecuted by Barrister Bahijjah H. Aliyu under the Kano State Forestry Law, which prohibits cutting down trees without authorisation. The case was heard at Court 2, Normansland, before His Worship Auwalu Yusuf.
“After reviewing the evidence, the court found the four defendants guilty and sentenced them to three months imprisonment each, with an option of a ₦40,000 fine. In addition, they were ordered to pay ₦50,000 compensation for the damage caused.”
The Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Dr. Dahiru M. Hashim, hailed the ruling as a landmark decision, emphasising that illegal tree felling poses a severe threat to the state’s afforestation initiatives and overall environmental sustainability.
“Every tree cut down illegally robs our city of clean air, shade, and climate resilience. This ruling sends a strong message that Kano will not tolerate environmental vandalism,” he said.
The Ministry urges citizens to report illegal logging and other environmental offences its website.