Harmattan: Enugu Govt cautions residents against bush burning

The  Enugu State Government has cautioned residents of the state against bush burning while hunting for “bushmeat’’, in order to guard against wildfires this harmattan season.

“Our people should stop bush burning while chasing wild animals such as bush rats this season to avoid fire disasters and their attendant consequences,” the state’s Commissioner for Rural Development, Mr Gab Onuzuluike, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Saturday.

“I have seen careless fires set up by these wild animal hunters completely raze down an entire village. The bushfire destroyed homes, market, farmlands and stalls in the village totally.

Onuzuluike said that the state government, through the law enforcement agencies, would arrest and prosecute any individual or group engaged in indiscriminate bush burning this season.

“We have informed and engaged the police command and traditional leaders in the state.

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“We want to take pro-active steps to ensure no individual or group brings hardship on any village or community in the state due to carelessness,’’ he said.

The commissioner said that the state government had made security and safety its top priority by putting its seven fire stations on alert to attend to any emergency.

He also urged residents and business owners to ensure that they put off all electrical appliances when not in use.

NAN reports that the toll-free state emergency number is 117.

The state’s fire service emergency numbers remain 07065409291 and 08169618538 for Enugu metropolis; 08036364051 for Mile Corner Fire Station and 08068079367 for Nsukka Fire Station.