The Jigawa State Environmental Court sitting in Dutse has convicted and sentenced five individuals for illegally felling trees in violation of the state’s climate change law.
The conviction was disclosed in a statement issued by Abbas Rufai Wangara, Director of Publicity and Protocol Matters, Jigawa State Judiciary.
According to the statement, the Presiding Magistrate, Hassan Yau, delivered the judgment in a case filed by the Commissioner of Police against the defendants Sale Yahaya, Sani Wada, Idris Haladu, Dauda Harisu, and Mutari Musa.
The court heard that the convicts, who are residents of Andaza Town and Kwarin Makera Village in Dutse and Kiyawa local government areas, were found guilty of unlawfully cutting down timber, contrary to the provisions of the Jigawa State Climate Change Law No. 19 of 2019.
In his ruling, Magistrate Yau sentenced each of the five offenders to one year’s imprisonment. However, the court granted them the option of paying a fine of N20,000 each in lieu of the custodial sentence.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of all timber logs recovered from the scene and tendered as exhibits during the trial. It directed that the confiscated logs be disposed of only after the expiration of the statutory period allowed for filing an appeal, in accordance with due legal process.
Wangara noted that the judgment sends a strong warning to individuals and groups engaged in indiscriminate tree felling across the state.
He reiterated the commitment of the Jigawa State Government to enforcing environmental laws aimed at curbing deforestation, protecting natural resources, and preserving the ecosystem for future generations.
