SOKOTO State Governor Ahmad Aliyu has directed security agencies in Wurno Local Council to apprehend those responsible for setting ablaze shelter belts established to combat desertification in the area.
Aliyu gave the directive during the flag-off of the sale of subsidised fertiliser for dry season farming in Wurno.

He expressed sadness over the destruction of the shelter belts, describing the act as wicked, inhuman and environmentally destructive.
“I wonder how somebody would set ablaze the shelter belts planted to safeguard our environment against desert encroachment, despite several campaigns against indiscriminate felling of trees,” the governor said, warning that anyone caught cutting down trees unlawfully would face the full weight of the law.

He stressed that security agencies must identify and prosecute those behind the act, insisting that they be punished to serve as a deterrent to others.

The governor added that the state government spends huge sums annually to procure and nurture thousands of tree seedlings, which are distributed to desert-prone communities across the state.

Aliyu also charged chairmen of local councils in affected areas to ensure proper monitoring and protection of shelter belts within their jurisdictions.