The Kwara Commissioner for Environment and Foresry, Mr Samuel Bamisaiye, on Thursday warned charcoal dealers to stop illegal revenue collection on behalf of the state or face prosecution.

Bamisaye gave the warning in Ilorin while receiving the report of the Charcoal Monitoring and Log Control Team in his office.

He noted that many people had formed the habit of collecting revenue illegally in the name of the state government.

The commissioner stressed that the Forestry staff in the ministry were legally empowered to collect revenue on behalf of the state government and must always do so with their identity cards.

He warned the Association of Charcoal Dealers to stop collecting illegal fees, adding that that whoever paid any fee to charcoal dealers, did so at his or her own risk.

In an interview with News Agency of Nigeria, the commissioner reaffirmed the suspension of the activities of chainsaw millers in any of the state's forests.

He assured the chainsaw millers that they would be duly informed when procedures for chainsaw activities were completed and restored by the government.

Bamisaiye warned members of the association against violating the law of the state and ordered them to vacate the forests or be sanctioned in accordance with the Forestry Law of the state.

Earlier, while submitting the report, the Head of the Monitoring/Log Control Team, Chief James Ibiwoye, had said that chainsaw millers arrested for illegal activities were currently being prosecuted.

He said that effective monitoring had been put in place by the team to prevent illegal activities in any of the state's forest reserves.