The Kwara State Forestry Monitory Committee has arrested 15 foreigners for alleged illegal felling of trees in the state.

The suspects, who were said to be illegal aliens from Niger Republic, were arrested on Monday at Wooru Village in Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara State, where they illegally cut down some economic trees.

The foreign nationals allegedly connived with the traditional head of the village to engage in the deforestation activities after they illegally entered the country.The forestry task force arrested the suspects following a tip-off that some people were in the bush illegally cutting down trees. They were arrested with a truck with registration number Zamfara SD 490 GUS loaded with logs already cut to size.

The Forestry Chief Superintendent, Mr. James Fadipe, said that the task force worked on the suspicion that some foreigners had invaded Wooru village which made them to immediately swing into action as a result of which they were arrested with their operational vehicle.

The leader of the group, Waziri Ibrahim, a farmer in Niger Republic, claimed that the Magaji of Wooru village permitted them to fell the trees in the village, after which they gave him N4,000 for the gesture.

According to him, they stayed in the village for 22 days before they were apprehended by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Ilorin.

Waziri said that they were employed by one Abubakar Idris of Ilela village, a town between Sokoto State and Niger Republic. He said: "Abubakar provided the truck and the driver, one Lawal Bako, who will return us to Ilela Village before we would board another vehicle to Niger Republic", he added.

He claimed that each of the logs cost between N2,000 and N3,000 in Niger Republic, as it is use for processing and storing grains on the farm.

When the Kwara State Police Command Headquarters, Ilorin, was contacted on the issue, their spokesman, DSP Olufemi Fabode, confirmed the arrests, but said the suspects had been handed over to the immigration for necessary action.But an Immigration Service source yesterday said: "I don't have any information about them yet. What I can tell you is that normally, when illegal aliens are arrested, they will undergo security screening before being deported".While speaking on the matter, the state Commissioner for Environment and Forestry, Barrister Anthony Towoju, commend the newly constituted Forestry Monitoring Committee for been proactive to the government policy on the ban on deforestation in Kwara State.

Barrister Towojo noted that state government has invested much on sensitization campaigns against misuse of forest reserves which has caused several climatic challenges in the state.

The commissioner disclosed that economic trees like Bombas (Ose), Shea Butter (Emi) and Locust Bean (Igba) were destroyed in Wooru village. He pointed out that the estimated cost of the woods felled was over a Million Naira.

While warning other village heads to desist from aiding and abetting illegal activities in their domain, the Commissioner called the citizenry to support the government's effort at ensuring that more trees are planted to protect the environment from total degradation.