Two Chinese illegal immigrants operating a wood factory in Ondo have been arrested by the state’s Joint Task Force on Forestry following a successful raid of the illegal operating site.
The state Government had in 2003 ordered the closure of three illegal wood factories operating in the area by illegal Chinese immigrants.
It was however discovered that one of the companies, JHX Wood was still operating in connivance with some state officials.
However, the state Commissioner for Mineral Resources, Mr Tunde Atere at the weekend led the state’s Joint Task Force on Forestry to the illegal operating site following a tip off.
The Commissioner and the JTF team stormed the illegal Wood factory at Akinfosile in Omotosho axis of Okitipupa Local Government Area and inspected the site of the JHX Wood Factory operated by two Chinese and confirmed that the factory was working illegally.
Atere expressed great displeasure and dissatisfaction on the offence committed by the two Chinese nationals to the state by operating illegal wood factory that Ondo state government had closed statutorily.
The Commissioner affirmed that the JHX wood factory had no required papers to operate with no log books nor does it have log evacuation schedule papers and incriminating items were discovered at the site.
The two chinese nationals were consequently arrested and taken to Nigeria Immigration Services (NIS) Akure for visa entry particulars verification and certification for subsequent transfer to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Nigerian Police for proper prosecution in the Law Court.
Describing the illegal immigrants as economic saboteurs, the State Commissioner for Information, Mr Kayode Akinmade said the arrested men would be dealt with according to the dictates of the law.
According to him, it was shameful that foreign nationals could come to the country to practice what they can’t do in their own country.
“This is wickedness on the part of these illegal immigrants, because by their nefarious activities in our forests, they have wreaked so much havoc.
”They know the penalty for such an offence in their country and there couldn’t have been any reasonable alibi for them to come here to practice what they couldn’t practice in their country.
“The government will not allow these people to go unpunished and this is a signal to others like them, who are wreaking havoc in our forests. The game is now up for them as the present government will do everything to ensure that activities of these illegal operators in our forests are stopped”
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