Mr Aliyu Tashas, the Chairman of Toto Local Government council in Nasarawa state, has ordered the immediate suspension of all activities in forests within the local government area.
This is contained in a statement by Mr Yahaya Toto, Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Toto LGA Chairman on Media and Communications in Toto on Sunday.
”Some criminals have turned the forests into their hideouts where they waylay, ambush, and kidnap farmers, timber operators and other innocent citizens.
”Forests within the council have also become places where kidnappers held their victims to, and continue to demand for ransome and in several cases kill their victims, revealing that two persons have been killed in one of the forests,” the chairman said.
The chairman said he is making security arrangements to flush out the bandits and kidnappers.
He urged the people of the local government to be extra vigilant to avoid falling victims of criminals.
”Those with genuine businesses in the forests should suspend their activities because government will not sit by and allow miscreants threaten the peace of the progressive people of Toto local government area,” he said.
