The National Association of Scrap and Waste Dealers Employers of Nigeria (NASWDEN) has challenged Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, to provide evidence to support his allegation that scrap metal scavengers were responsible for the theft of electrical cables worth about N3 billion in the state.
Deputy National President of the association, Aminu Hassan Soja, made the demand in a statement on Sunday, insisting that the governor’s claim was unfair and lacked credible proof.
Soja asked the Borno State Government to disclose details of the project allegedly affected by the theft, including the contractor that handled it, when it was executed, whether the cables were supplied and installed, and when the alleged theft occurred.
He also questioned how the government arrived at its conclusion when scrap metal activities had been prohibited in Borno State for over three years.
“Governor Zulum must not use scrap dealers as scapegoats to conceal the government’s failures in providing basic social amenities and infrastructure. You cannot accuse an entire industry without presenting credible evidence,” he said.
The association further rejected any attempt to link its members with criminal activities, stressing that NASWDEN is a legitimate body representing law-abiding scrap and waste dealers across the country.
Soja said the association categorically distanced itself from Boko Haram and all forms of terrorism, adding that portraying scrap dealers as criminals without substantiated evidence was unjust.
He warned against what he described as the stigmatisation of legitimate operators in the scrap and waste sector, saying such allegations could tarnish the image of innocent business owners.
NASWDEN called on the Borno State Government to identify and prosecute those responsible if any crime was committed, rather than making what it described as blanket accusations against scrap dealers.
The Borno State Government had alleged that scrap metal scavengers were involved in the theft of electrical cables valued at N3 billion, a claim the association has now strongly disputed.
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