To check climate change and its attendant adverse effects, the Kano government has announced an immediate ban on tree felling in the state.

Subsequently, the government prohibits the activities of loggers and chainsaws in a deliberate action to equally protect the environment from deforestation.

It imposed a N5 00, 000 fine, confiscation and possible imprisonment on illegal chainsaws and or N250, 000 fee and replanting orders, and confiscation for violation of the directive.

Declaring the ban at a press briefing yesterday, the Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Dr. Dahiru Muhammad Hashim, stated that the decision takes immediate effect.

He explained the ministry’s powers to regulate forestry, manage climate change impacts, and enforce penalties for violations, insisting that the government’s action was intentional to safeguard communal livelihoods.

For orderliness, the commissioner revealed that the government was introducing the Chainsaw Usage Permit Framework (CUPF).

According to him, the current administration in the state is enforcing registration of all commercial chainsaw operators and logging businesses.

He said henceforth, a permit will only be issued to the operator after inspection and verification.