Aiyedatiwa Gives Forest Invaders 14-Day Ultimatum

​AKURE — In a major offensive aimed at dismantling rising criminal networks, Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has issued a stern 14-day ultimatum to all unlawful occupants and criminal syndicates using the state’s forest reserves as sanctuaries.

​The directive, which specifically targets kidnappers, armed bandits, and other rogue elements, was made public in Akure by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Forestry, Mr. Bidemi Obayangban.

​According to the state government, the decisive move is designed to purge the expansive reserves of nefarious actors who have turned natural habitats into operational bases for abductions and violent crimes, thereby threatening the livelihood of rural communities, farmers, and legitimate economic investors.

​Weighing in on the administration’s security architecture, Obayangban emphasized that economic revitalization and agricultural growth remain pipedreams without an uncompromised security framework.

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​“A vision without maximum security to ensure the safety of investors, farmers, timber contractors, and those conducting legitimate business across Ondo State’s forest reserves is effectively meaningless,” Obayangban stated. “Consequently, the primary focus of the Aiyedatiwa administration is to flush out criminal elements from our forests. We are taking the battle directly to them.”

​The state government noted that a comprehensive tactical blueprint has been finalized, combining conventional security forces with indigenous hunters and local security networks to sweep through the thickets. While maintaining that Governor Aiyedatiwa favors a quiet, execution-driven posture over mere rhetoric when handling security threats, the administration decided on a public warning to underscore the gravity of the impending crackdown.

​“I am using this opportunity to announce that the state government is giving these individuals 14 days to vacate Ondo State forests,” Obayangban warned. “Failure to comply will result in them meeting their Waterloo.”

​The impending offensive forms the foundational phase of a broader government roadmap targeted at restoring sanity to the state’s forestry sector, assuring citizens, investors, and agricultural workers that absolute safety remains a non-negotiable priority for the current administration.