Zulum bans metal scavenging in Borno

Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, has imposed an indefinite ban on metal scavenging activities in all
nooks and crannies of the state.

According to a statement by the spokesperson of the government, Mallam Isa Gusau, the governor’s ban aimed to forestall continued killings of scavengers by Boko Haram insurgents on the outskirts of some local government areas and to stop theft of public and private property.

Gusau recalled that known and unknown number of youths who go to deserted communities in search of metals have been ambushed and killed by insurgents.

Gusau said the governor while announcing the ban on Monday in Maiduguri, said: “Within the last five years, many people were killed as a result of metal scavenging. That has informed the government of Borno State to investigate such nefarious activities.”

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Zulum added that: “You have seen this place, all these are government properties and behind you are properties belonging to telecommunication companies. Such activities can only be tagged as economic sabotage both to the federal and state governments. Therefore, I have directed the ban of metal scavenging in all 27 local governments until further notice.”

Zulum explained that those scavengers were notorious for destroying both public and private property in most local government areas where the activities of Boko Haram forced residents to flee.

He noted that the state government lost valuable property worth billions of naira in the last five years resulting from the activities of scavengers.

The governor said the ban on metal scavenging extends to all forms of informal and unregulated metal recovery activities, including the dismantling, collection, and transportation of scrap metals.

Borno government, he warned, would work closely with security agencies to effectively enforce the ban by imposing stringent penalties on violators.