Zulum Says Borno Lost Billions To Scrap Metal Scavengers, Defends Trade Ban.

 

Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has said the state has lost metals, electrical materials and public infrastructure worth billions of naira to scrap metal scavengers, locally known as Ajakuta, defending the government’s decision to ban the trade.

Zulum disclosed this on Saturday, 17 October 2026, while addressing scrap metal operators, whom he urged to submit proposals on how they could continue their businesses without contributing to insecurity or damaging public infrastructure.

The governor explained that the ban was imposed in the overall interest of the state and was not intended to deprive operators of their livelihoods.

He said the government had no personal interest in shutting down their businesses, stressing that the measure was necessary to protect public assets and strengthen security.

“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,” Zulum said.

He disclosed that the state had spent more than ₦3 billion to connect an electricity distribution line from Damaturu to Maiduguri, only for the wires to be stolen through metal scavenging 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,” he said.

The governor added that hundreds of scrap metal scavengers had reportedly been killed while searching for metals in villages that remained unsafe for civilian activities before the ban was imposed.

Zulum also raised concerns over alleged links between scrap metal trading and insurgency, saying security agencies had intelligence indicating that insurgents used the trade 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 said.

Despite defending the ban, the governor announced a waiver allowing operators to evacuate stocks accumulated before the restriction from designated locations.

The measure, he said, was intended to ease the impact of the ban on legitimate businesses while maintaining the government’s efforts to protect public infrastructure and address security threats in the state.