A Magistrate Court sitting at Rijiyar Zaki in Kano has convicted and sentenced one Inuwa Ayuba to two months imprisonment for illegal felling of seven neem trees at Sarauniya village in Dawakin Tofa local government area of the state.
According to the prosecution Counsel, Bahijja Aliyu, the monitoring team from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change got a tip on the illegal felling of neem trees at Sarauniya village, which contravenes the provisions of the state environmental regulations and laws provided by the Kano State government.
The Ministry officials quickly apprehended the culprit and gathered all the relevant evidence, which was presented before the court through the prosecution Counsel, Bahijjah Aliyu.
This was contained in a statement by the Director of Public Enlightenment, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Ismail Gwammaja, a copy of which was made available to PUNCH Online on Saturday.
‘You recall that the Kano State Ministry of Environment and Climate Change has secured Environmental, Forestry and Pollution Control laws which prevented illegal cutting down of trees without obtaining permission from the relevant authorities, as well as pollution issues and open defecation in the state’, the statement partly read.
According to the Prosecution Counsel, the court, after reviewing the evidence, convicted the defendant and imposed a fine or two months imprisonment and he was ordered to plant 14 neem trees as a penalty for the offense.
The Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Dr. Dahiru Hashim, commended the efforts of the Ministry’s enforcement team and the judiciary for their support in protecting the state’s environment.
‘The conviction of this individual serves as a deterrent to others who engage in illegal activities that harm our environment,’ the commissioner was quoted as saying.
‘We will continue to work tirelessly to protect and preserve our natural resources for the benefit of present and future generations’, he added.
The ministry urged residents to comply with environmental regulations and Pollution Laws, while urging them to report any instances of environmental degradation to the appropriate authorities for action.
