Scrap dealers challenge Zulum to prove N3bn cable theft allegation
The National Association of Scrap and Waste Dealers Employers of Nigeria, NASWDEN, has challenged Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, to provide evidence linking scrap metal scavengers to the alleged theft of electrical cables purchased for 3 billion naira electricity distribution project.
The association’s Deputy National President, Aminu Soja, made the demand in a statement issued on in Kano, questioning the evidence behind the allegation and the circumstances surrounding the reported theft.
Earlier, Zulum blamed metal scavengers for the loss of wires purchased for an electricity distribution line linking Damaturu, Yobe State, to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
The governor said the incident, alongside other security concerns, informed the state government’s decision to ban scrap metal trading in Borno.
According to Zulum, the state had lost metals, electrical materials and public infrastructure worth billions of naira to scavengers, locally known as Ajakuta.
He also alleged that security intelligence indicated that insurgents were using scrap metal trading platforms to sell looted materials.
Zulum said hundreds of scrap metal operators had been killed while scavenging in villages considered unsafe for civilian activities before the ban.
The governor, however, urged operators to submit proposals on how they could continue their businesses without contributing to insecurity or damaging public infrastructure.
He also granted a waiver allowing operators to evacuate stocks accumulated before the ban from designated locations, a measure intended to ease the impact of the restriction on legitimate businesses.
In response, the Association questioned how the state government established the alleged theft and identified scrap dealers as responsible, particularly given that the ban on scrap metal activities had reportedly been in place for more than three years.
Soja called on the government to identify the contractor responsible for the project, disclose when it was executed, confirm whether the cables were supplied and installed, and state when the alleged theft occurred.
He warned against blaming the entire scrap metal industry without credible evidence, arguing that legitimate operators should not be held responsible for crimes they did not commit.
Soja also denied any association between NASWDEN and Boko Haram or other terrorist activities, describing the organisation as a legitimate body representing law-abiding scrap and waste dealers.
He urged the Borno State Government to provide verifiable evidence and identify those responsible if a crime had occurred, rather than making generalised allegations against legitimate business operators.
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