Turning Green Fields Into Deserts For Profit

Destruction of the fertile ecosystem by wood merchants has turned Southern Kaduna, especially the Ikulu Chiefdom in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State, into an endangered environmental zone, thereby hastening desert encroachment and leading experts to express fears on negative consequences as it relates to climate change, among others. SIMON REEF MUSA reports on the pillaging of these natural resources that is fast turning once vast green fields into desert as wood vendors pillaged the ecosystem to serve the energy needs of not only Nigerians, but others sharing borders with the country.

Wood Business As New Goldmine

For residents of Kaduna metropolis, it is only normal to observe empty trucks heading to the southern part of the state every morning and returning at sundown, carrying firewood, heading to Kano, Katsina, Sokoto and Kebbi, among others. Due to increasing demand for firewood as source of energy, some of these wood products are often transported to far away Niger Republic, Cameroon and Chad, among others, for domestic use.  Unlike in the past where these wood business men concentrated their activities at the Birnin Gwari forest that has now been taken over by bandits and other criminal elements, these merchants has shifted their focus to the Southern Kaduna axis that is richly endowed with abundant natural resources.

Like the Birnin Gwari forest that once provided resources for their flourishing wood business, activities of the vendors have been concentrated in forest areas once designated as grazing reserves. To avoid attacks from indigenous people, these merchants of woods are deeply involved in the plundering of the ecosystem. Having been driven from the Birnin Gwari forest and environs that once provided endless supplies for their business, these merchants of woods have found a new treasure house in Southern Kaduna, especially in Ikulu Chiefdom that has over 75-80 per cent of its land seized by the Kaduna State Government to create the Ladugga Grazing Reserve. Initially, the reserve was put at a little over 40,000 hectares, but now has been increased to over 73,000 hectares by the present administration led by Governor Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai. 

Rise Of The Wood Cabal

The road to the massive deforestation of Southern part of Kaduna state commenced more than four years ago, but is slowly assuming a frightening dimension, with no less than 20 trucks engaged in transporting wood products on a daily basis. Over 80 per cent of these pillaged wood products are from Ikulu Chiefdom.

Following unconfirmed reports that the Kaduna State Government had increased the size of Ladugga Grazing Reserve from over 40,000 to over 73,000 hectares, new areas hitherto not captured in the grazing reserve have now been captured, with indigenes engaged in farming  are now set to be captured in a new gazette to be released soon. The fear that the Ladugga Grazing Reserve had been expanded gained credence when a team of surveyors on the orders of the Kaduna State Government, under the protection of armed security men, spent several days surveying areas to be added to the reserve.

Presently, not only have activities of wood vendors turned Ladugga and its environs into a treasure-trove, people inhabiting areas close to the reserve are increasingly finding it difficult to resist further destruction of the environment to stave off further negative impacts on global warming.  Apart from destroying wildlife habitats and destruction of the soil structure, the ongoing destruction of the environment through chopping down of trees could worsen problems associated with climate change and completely endanger the agricultural prospects of the area.

The spiraling cost of kerosene that used to be a common source of   energy for the poor has turned firewood into an indispensable commodity sought after by many to provider energy for people. Investigations by this reporter reveal that felling trees is not only destroying the environment and causing apprehension among the locals, uncertainties over ownership of lands by the indigenes  is introducing an unprecedented fright never experienced before now.

According to a resident of Akupal in Ikulu Chiefdom, who pleaded anonymity, “the massive destruction of trees constitutes a grave threat to ecological stability and prosperity of Southern Kaduna, especially the Ikulu chiefdom that is now facing the worst of environmental crime through the cutting down of trees. If the current trend of preying on our natural resources, especially chopping down of trees, is not halted, future generations are bound to suffer.”

People living in villages where this environmental degradation is ongoing are too afraid to whisper or talk about the devastation unleashed by these wood vendors. According to one of them, “Those behind this appalling wood business have pocketed government officials appointed to checkmate their reprehensible actions. With their deep pockets, these firewood vendors, who mostly hail from outside the state, are in collusion with some top officials of the Ministry of Natural Resources. There is a grand collusion between these vendors and top government officials mandated to protect these trees and avoid further destruction of the ecological system.”

Resisting Ecological Plundering 

In line with the existing Kaduna State Government’s policy, measures have always been taken to encourage afforestation. In a bid to encourage communities’ involvement in nurturing fertile ecosystem, traditional rulers, among other community leaders, have often be relied upon to protect the ecology and report any person/agent engaged in chopping down trees.

It is based on this positive efforts geared towards afforestation that led to the planting of over 3.7 million trees in 2016 and 2017. Most of these trees were planted in five local government areas in the northern part of the state. The LGAs include Birnin Gwari, Kubau, Makarfi, Ikara and Giwa. Through the aggressive posture of the state government, Kaduna, according to the State Director Forestry, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Mr Anthony Kachiro, a 310 km shelter belt has been established across the five local government areas to tackle the menace of desert encroachment.

In Ikulu Chiefdom, destruction of the ecosystem has not gone unchallenged, especially with regards to hewing of trees for firewood, charcoals and timbers on a massive scale. Worried by activities of the criminal wood merchants, the Paramount Ruler of the Ikulu ethnic nationality and Agwom Akulu, His Royal Highness Yohanna Sidi Kukah, had early in 2019 formed a committee to look into the problem with a view to halting further ecological ruination caused by these wood traders.

The meeting between the committee members and wood vendors took place sometimes in April 2019. According to a source privy to the meeting, the committee members had  told officials of the wood dealers to halt further environmental degradation through massive destruction of tree that was fast turning the areas into deserts.

“The clear objective of the meeting,” according to the source that attended the meeting, “was to ensure prompt stoppage of the bad practice and save the environment from further devastation. The paramount ruler, the source added,  made it clear through the committee that henceforth, wood vendors must cease from continued destruction of trees.”

The source, however, revealed that the wood traders shocked the committee with their disclosure that their members had already purchased thousands of trees yet to be chopped down. They further made it clear that they have permission from relevant agencies to cut down trees for wood products. In a bid to resolve the matter amicably, the vendors pleaded that they should be given three months to cut down all trees which their members have purchased.  

Not convinced that the vendors obtained valid permission to chop down trees, a member of the committee approached the Ministry of Natural Resources for verification. No government official was willing to speak on the matter and no written permission was made available to the Committee to confirm or deny the existence of such deal. A worker with the Forest Ranger unit of the Ministry simply advised the Committee member to return home and await their prompt response. As at the time of filling this story, silence has remained the response. 

In a last minute’s attempt to halt the continued destruction of the ecosystem by the wood dealers, the Committee resolved to grant a three-month grace period in May 2019 to the wood traders. By August 2019, it was expected that all trees purchased by wood traders should have been cut down. At the expiration of the three-month’s grace, the Committee became worried that despite the promise to stop further ruination of the environment, there were no visible signs that the wood vendors were committed to keeping their promise. It was on this note that the Committee members returned to Kaduna to meet a Commissioner who promised to look into the matter.

According to a member of the committee, “Our meeting with some top officials of government, including a commissioner, seemed to have ended on a positive note as we were assured that the matter would be looked into. No one gave us an impression that things would thereafter be treated with levity. On that note, we were satisfied and rightly thought we were headed in the right direction to end the menace of tree felling”.

However, three months after meeting with the government officials to wade in and end the devastation, the Forest Ranger unit is yet to show interest in stopping further destruction these natural resources.

“As I speak to you in this month of October 2019, the chopping down of trees and daily transportation of same in no fewer than 20 trucks is daily still ongoing. Nothing has changed and the wood dealers are even expanding their operations in collaborations with elements too powerful to be stopped,” said the source.

Despite stiff opposition from the Chiefdom, these wood vendors, according to other sources, have remained adamant and relentless in continuing with their nefarious activities. Those behind the infamous destruction of the environment are sparing no effort in compromising some influential community leaders in their quest to continue pillaging the environment. For now, many towns and villages in Ikulu Chiefdom have been turned into preys by these environment destroyers, without apology.

When Forefront visited some areas affected by environmental destruction in August and October 2019, massive deforestation through felling of trees were ongoing. Even the local Fulani herdsmen, are also engaged in chopping down trees to produce charcoal and firewood that are in huge demand. Sacks of charcoal can be seen in Katul-Crossing, with rickety cars queuing up to transport bags of charcoal to various destinations for sale.  

When this reporter asked one of the local Fulani herdsmen why he was involved in hewing trees for charcoal production, he responded, “People are making fortunes out, why should I stand and watch them make money and I go hungry? If people outside the state are coming to cut down trees and export them beyond the state and Nigeria, why then should I deny myself an opportunity to bring food to my family?”

State Government Keeps Mum   

Efforts by this reporter to get an official response on the continued ecological degradation being unleashed by wood traders did not yield any positive result.  At the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, no staff was willing to speak as an official explained that the matter is being handled by the Forest Ranger unit of the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry.

When contacted, an official of the Forest Ranger unit, who requested anonymity, confirmed that the unit has been duly notified on the ongoing chopping down of trees by wood dealers. The official who is not allowed to speak to the press said government was doing everything possible to get to the root of the matter.

He lamented that the wood dealers’ activities were causing the state sleepless nights and assured that government would not spare any effort to stop further degradation of the ecosystem through activities of wood vendors.

While some state officials disclosed that a deliberate policy is in place to pursue an aggressive afforestation in the northern parts, including some LGAs in the central zone, not much is on ground to protect environments from the southern part.

“You can agree with me that government has pursued aggressive plans to protect the environment in both the northern and central zones of the state. However, due to the approaching menace of desert encroachment, much efforts are deployed to building a protective afforestation belt in the northern axis of the state to protect the environment”, the official said.

In the first week of December 2019, activities of wood traders seemed to have expanded to other areas, with some towns and villages in Kajuru and Kachia LGAs witnessing a rise in their illegal and damaging activities. Alarmed by the wood traders’ act of unleashing their fangs of environmental devastation on Adara forests, the chairman of Kajuru LGA, Mr Cafra Caino, promptly warned them to stay clear of the local government area or face the full wrath of the law.

Can The Wood Cabal Be Tamed?

This reporter found out that the wood cabal behind the lucrative wood business comprises powerful persons who exert influence on those in the corridors of power. Through their activities, the once fertile lush green fields of Southern Kaduna are being turned into deserts, with the environment under serious threat.

“What is happening with the increased activities of wood vendors poses greater dangers to future generations who will be the ultimate sufferers of these destructive exercise. Despite the fact billions of naira are lost to government as revenues, the ecosystem could turn into scorching environment that will render both human and animal habitation impossible,” said an academic.

Can the state government, led by Governor el-Rufai, rise up to the occasion and stop further rape on the environment by these vendors who are driven to amass wealth?  Only time can tell.