19/10/2025
MOSIEND Intercepts ₦50m Illegal Timber Shipment in Bayelsa
The Environmental Compliance and Monitoring Team of the Movement for the Survival of the Izon Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND), Egbemo Clan, has intercepted a large consignment of illegally harvested timber valued at over ₦50 million along the Ogbotobo River in Ogbotobo Community, Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
The seizure, which took place on Friday, October 17, 2025, involved approximately 10,500 logs extracted from the Ogbotobo forest without any official permit or authorization. The shipment was said to be en route to Delta State before it was intercepted by the MOSIEND team.
According to the group, the action is in line with its mandate to support the enforcement of government environmental regulations and protect the Niger Delta’s natural resources from illegal exploitation.
It will be recalled that the Bayelsa State Government, through the Ministry of Environment, had placed a total ban on logging across the state as part of efforts to preserve forest resources and curb environmental degradation.
Speaking on the development, the Chairman of MOSIEND, Egbemo Clan, Comrade Egbe Tamaraudoubra, reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to ensuring full compliance with the state’s environmental directives.
“The enforcement of the logging ban remains a top priority for MOSIEND,” Tamaraudoubra said. “Anyone, regardless of status or influence, caught violating the executive order will be apprehended and handed over to the appropriate authorities.”
He commended members of the compliance and monitoring team for their vigilance and dedication to duty and the Ogbotobo Community for wholeheartedly embracing and aligning with the government’s policy on logging, urging continued cooperation with relevant state agencies to sustain the fight against illegal logging and environmental abuse.
Tamaraudoubra further warned individuals and syndicates engaged in unauthorized timber extraction to desist, stressing that MOSIEND would not relent in defending the region’s environment and natural heritage in line with extant laws.
The latest interception, he added, underscores MOSIEND’s determination to promote environmental accountability and community participation in the sustainable management of natural resources in Bayelsa State and the wider Niger Delta.
