Borno state governor, Babagana Zulum. Photo: Borno State Government.
Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has said metal scavengers looted all the wires purchased for a N3bn electricity distribution line linking Damaturu, Yobe State, to Maiduguri.
He said the incident, alongside other security concerns, informed the state government’s decision to ban the scrap metal trade in Borno State.
The governor’s Senior Technical Assistant on Print and Digital Communications, Abdulrahman Bundi, said in a statement on Sunday that Zulum disclosed this while addressing business operators in Maiduguri on Saturday.
Zulum explained that the ban was initially imposed in the overall interest of the state and was not intended to deprive operators of their livelihoods.
He stressed that the government had no personal interest in stopping their businesses, adding that the measure was aimed at protecting public assets and strengthening security.
He said, “Before the ban, hundreds of your members were killed in the process of scavenging for metals in the villages that are not yet safe for civilian activities.”
He added, “It is deeply concerning to me if one person loses his livelihood for whatever reason in Borno; believe me, there is nothing I stand to gain from banning scrap metal trade rather than addressing the serious security concerns associated with your activities.”
“We spent more than N3 billion to connect an electricity distribution line from Damaturu to Maiduguri, but unfortunately we lost all the wires to the metal scavenging activities,” Zulum recounted.
The governor further said security agencies had intelligence indicating that terrorists collaborated with scavengers to sell looted metals.
“We have security intelligence that even the insurgents use your platforms to sell looted metals. So, no responsible government will ignore such intelligence just to be politically correct,” he noted.
Bundi said the governor had, however, granted a waiver allowing operators to evacuate stocks accumulated before the ban at selected locations, a move intended to ease the impact of the restriction on legitimate businesses.
“He urged them to submit proposals on how they can continue their businesses without contributing to insecurity or destroying public infrastructure,” Bundi said.