NEWS
Zulum Reveals ₦3bn Power Line Loss to Scrap Metal Scavengers, Defends Ban on Scrap Trading in Borno
Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, has disclosed that the state lost electricity distribution wires worth billions of naira to metal scavengers, popularly known as “Ndị Akpakara”, including materials deployed for a power line project valued at more than ₦3 billion.
The governor said the extensive loss of public infrastructure, alongside growing security concerns associated with scrap metal trading, informed his administration’s decision to impose a ban on the business across the state.
Zulum made the disclosure over the weekend during a meeting with scrap metal dealers, where he urged them to develop and submit proposals outlining how they could continue their businesses without endangering lives, undermining security operations or destroying critical public infrastructure.
The meeting provided an opportunity for the governor to explain the rationale behind the restriction and explore possible ways of accommodating genuine operators without compromising the safety of residents and the protection of government assets.
According to Zulum, the government did not introduce the ban to deliberately deprive traders of their livelihoods. Rather, he maintained that the decision was driven by the need to safeguard valuable public investments and address security threats allegedly connected to the activities of some operators within the scrap metal trade.
Highlighting the financial implications of the destruction and theft of public infrastructure, the governor recalled the substantial resources invested in establishing an electricity distribution line linking Damaturu in Yobe State to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
“We spent more than ₦3 billion to connect an electricity distribution line from Damaturu to Maiduguri, but unfortunately, we lost all the wires to metal scavenging activities,” Zulum said.
The governor’s disclosure underscores the financial and infrastructural challenges confronting authorities as they seek to restore essential services and protect investments in a state that has endured years of insurgency and security-related disruptions.
Beyond the loss of electricity infrastructure, Zulum also expressed concern over the dangers faced by scavengers who venture into communities where security conditions remain unsuitable for normal civilian activities.
He said the practice had resulted in the deaths of numerous scrap metal scavengers, warning that the pursuit of recyclable materials in unsafe areas had exposed traders to serious risks.
“Before the ban, hundreds of your members were killed while scavenging for metals in villages that were not yet safe for civilian activities,” he said.
Zulum further alleged that security intelligence available to his administration suggested that insurgents were exploiting scrap metal trading channels to dispose of stolen materials.
He said the possibility of such activities being used to support criminal networks presented a serious concern that the government could not afford to overlook.
According to the governor, the security implications of the trade required decisive intervention, regardless of the economic interests involved. He maintained that the government had a responsibility to prevent the exploitation of commercial activities as channels for disposing of looted property or undermining public safety.
Zulum also dismissed the suggestion that his administration had any personal interest in stopping the businesses, insisting that the restriction was introduced in the broader interest of protecting lives, property and public infrastructure.
However, he acknowledged the economic difficulties the ban could create for legitimate traders who depend on scrap metal collection and sales to support themselves and their families.
The governor said his administration was mindful of the need to balance security considerations with the economic realities facing operators in the sector, adding that measures had already been taken to reduce the immediate impact of the restriction.
As part of those measures, the government permitted genuine operators to remove scrap materials they had collected before the ban from designated locations, providing a limited opportunity for traders to recover some of their investments.
“We have allowed genuine operators to evacuate the scrap metal they collected before the ban from designated locations to reduce the impact of the restriction on their businesses,” Zulum said.
The governor urged scrap metal dealers to work with the government in developing a workable framework that would enable legitimate commercial activities to continue without exposing residents to danger or allowing public assets to be targeted.
His remarks suggest that the administration is seeking proposals from traders on possible arrangements that could address their economic concerns while maintaining the restrictions imposed on the sector.
The controversy surrounding scrap metal trading in Borno highlights the difficult balance between protecting livelihoods and responding to security threats in a state still grappling with the consequences of prolonged insurgency.
For the Zulum administration, the central challenge remains how to protect critical infrastructure, prevent the alleged misuse of scrap metal trading channels and ensure that legitimate operators are not unnecessarily deprived of their means of survival.