Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has signed two new executive orders banning indiscriminate tree felling and introducing a monthly environmental sanitation exercise across the state.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) The orders, signed on Saturday at the Government House in Maiduguri, are aimed at curbing environmental degradation and improving public health.
Citing Sections 14(2) and 20 of the 1999 Constitution and the Felling of Tree Law, Cap 53, Laws of Borno 1994, Zulum officially prohibited tree felling with immediate effect. “Violators of the law face a fine of N250,000 or up to three years’ imprisonment for a first offence.
Repeat offenders risk N500,000 fines or five years’ jail,” the governor warned.
The second order declares the first Saturday of every month as Sanitation Day. Defaulters could face a fine of N100,000 or two years’ imprisonment for a first offence, with repeat offenders liable to up to five years’ imprisonment.
Zulum also empowered the Sanitation Court to enforce the new directives effectively. He revealed plans for a third executive order targeting illegal scrap metal scavenging and directed security agencies to ensure full compliance with the new laws.
