Scavengers Stole ₦3bn Power Line Wires In Borno – Governor Zulum
Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, has said metal scavengers stole electricity distribution wires worth billions of naira, including materials for a power line project valued at more than ₦3 billion.
Zulum said the loss was among the security and infrastructure concerns that prompted his administration to ban scrap metal trading in the state.
The governor disclosed this over the weekend during a meeting with scrap metal dealers, urging them to submit proposals on how they could continue their businesses without undermining security or damaging public infrastructure.
He explained that the ban was not intended to deprive traders of their livelihoods but was introduced to protect public assets and address security threats associated with their activities.
“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 also expressed concern over the dangers faced by scavengers, particularly those operating in communities where security conditions remained unsafe for civilian activities.
“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 said security intelligence indicated that insurgents were using scrap metal trading channels to sell stolen and looted materials, describing the situation as a threat his administration could not ignore.
He stressed that the restriction was not driven by personal interests or political considerations but by the need to safeguard lives, maintain security and protect public infrastructure.
The governor, however, acknowledged the economic implications of the ban for scrap metal dealers, saying his administration was concerned about their welfare and did not want genuine operators to lose their means of livelihood unnecessarily.
As part of efforts to ease the impact of the restriction, Zulum said genuine operators had been allowed to evacuate scrap metals collected before the ban from designated locations.
“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,” he said.
The governor urged the dealers to work with the state government to develop a framework that would enable legitimate scrap metal trading to continue without compromising public safety or exposing critical infrastructure to theft and vandalism.