A special mobile court in Jalingo, Taraba state capital has remanded two Chinese nationals and a Nigerian in the custody of the Nigeria migration service for ten days.
Their trial was halted due to a language barrier and the court has fixed September 4, for the commencement of trial to enable the court get an independent interpreter.
The suspects were arraigned by the state prosecution for contravening section 5 of an executive order 2023 that deals with environment protection, public safety, prohibition of deforestation in the state.
It is over a month since Governor Kefas Agbu signed an executive order suspending all mining activities and felling of rosewood trees popular known as madrid in the state.
The order became imperative, looking at the devastating impact of the illegal mining activities and indiscriminate felling of trees and the inherent danger posed to the environmental economy of the state.
A Task force headed by Brigadier General Jeremiah Faransa (Rtd) was inaugurated to enforce the executive order.
The task force took its sensitisation exercise to all 16 local governments of the state including a company owned by China Nationals which deals in timber, to educate them on why they must comply with the executive order.
But the admonitions of the task force to the company’s leadership fell on deaf ears resulting in the arrest of some principal staff.
The arrested offenders were charged to a mobile court in Jalingo for contravening executive order 5.
The manager of the company spoke on circumstances that led to their arrest and trial.
Taraba state government has been working hard to contain the activities of both illegal miners and trees fellers who take home millions in Naira daily at the expense of the locals and damaging the eco system and the environment.
