Soldiers Raid Calabar Timber Market

SOLDIERFS drafted from 13 Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Calabar, Cross River State, have raided the Calabar timber market and carted away illegal wood brought into the market through illegal routes by timber merchants.

The soldiers, who went into the market in four vans, were led by the Chairman of Cross River State Anti- Deforestation Task Force, Air Vice Marshall  Eko Osim, who told Vanguard that the market was raided to enforce the state policy on zero logging of wood in the state.

“Logging of wood is banned in the state and there is a law to that effect but some timber dealers aid illegal loggers to bring in fresh wood through hidden routes in ungodly hours of the night.”

He said that the timber merchants were supposed to work in collaboration with  the anti-deforestation task force to enforce the ban on logging of wood in the state  but they were colluding with the illegal loggers to destroy  the forests which are being specially conserved to provide biodiversity.

“The market has not been shut down, what we are doing is part of the work and we do follow them to the jungle and the forests where they do the logging and if they escape  our dragnet we confiscate the illegal ones here in the markets,” he said.

Source: Vanguard