Nigerian doctor and wife fined $1M for cutting down 38 protected trees.

However, city authorities disagreed with the explanation and imposed a total fine of $915,135.40 on the couple. 

The council also placed a claim on the property, a move that could prevent the owners from selling or developing the land until the penalty is fully settled.
Defending the city’s decision, community tree specialist Erys Gagnez said mature trees of such size could not easily be replaced. 

“Trees of that size are not commercially available for replacement. Even with replanting, it will take decades, even centuries, to restore the ecological and protective functions that were lost,” Gagnez stated. 

She added that the scale of the fine reflected the environmental impact caused by the removal of the trees.