Borno Scrap Metal Ban: Zulum Says “Ajakuta” Scavengers Cost the State Billions

Zulum spoke on Saturday to scrap metal operators, Insight North East reported. He said scavenging, or “Ajakuta”, had drained the state of metals, electrical materials and infrastructure. Those losses, he said, are worth billions. He pointed to unsafe villages that civilians still cannot enter.

The governor gave one concrete example. He said: “We spent more than N3 billion to connect an electricity distribution line from Damaturu to Maiduguri.” Metal scavenging, he said, took the wires. For a state that depends on a fragile power supply, that is a heavy loss. Our report on the Maiduguri power outage shows how much the city relies on that grid.

That single line shows the scale of the problem. When wires vanish, the damage reaches far beyond the owner. Homes, clinics and water pumps lose power, and repair costs fall on taxpayers. This is why officials treat metal theft as more than petty crime.

The Borno scrap metal ban dates to July 2023. Zulum then barred informal metal recovery across all 27 local government areas, ThisDay reported at the time. Officials cited the deaths of scavengers in insurgent-affected areas and the theft of public and private property. In October 2024, the state set up a committee to review the ban, Daily Trust reported. We could not find a published result of that review.

On Saturday, Zulum repeated the security case. He said that before the ban, “hundreds of your members were killed” while scavenging in unsafe villages. He also said security intelligence shows that insurgents use scrap platforms to sell looted metals. That second claim is serious. It also lacks public detail. The state has not published the intelligence, so readers must weigh it as an official assertion.

The ban hurt people who earned a living from scrap. Many dealers and scavengers lost their income, earlier reports noted. Zulum addressed that on Saturday. He said the ban serves the state’s overall interest and is not meant to take away livelihoods. Moreover, there is “nothing I stand to gain” from it beyond addressing serious security concerns, he added.

Then he announced a waiver. Operators may remove stock that they accumulated before the ban from selected locations. That eases the immediate loss for legitimate dealers. It also treats old stock as lawful property, which signals that the state separates dealers from scavengers. In addition, he asked them to submit proposals on how they could keep trading without fuelling insecurity or destroying public infrastructure. The invitation suggests a possible path from a ban to a regulated trade.

A regulated model would need three things. First, it would need traceability, so that every tonne of metal has a known source. Second, it would need licensing and vetting of dealers, buyers and transporters. Third, it would need enforcement against buying cables, rails or public fittings. Without those controls, a reopened market could revive the same theft.

However, the state faces a hard trade-off. Tight controls cost money and need monitors. Loose controls invite abuse. The proposals that operators submit will show whether the industry is ready to accept traceability. They will also show whether the government can run a licensing system without creating new opportunities for corruption.

Watch four things. First, the waiver’s terms, including how long operators have and which locations qualify. Second, whether the state publishes the proposals and its response. Third, any independent data on theft of public infrastructure. Finally, whether the state commits to restoring the Damaturu–Maiduguri line.

Borno’s wider security picture also matters. Our report on the Mairari military base attack in Guzamala shows how active the insurgency remains. Our look at Zulum’s backing for a medical college in Biu shows the state is also investing in long-term services.

The governor’s message to operators was firm but open. The ban stays, the stock may leave, and proposals are welcome. What happens to the trade now depends on the details of those proposals, and on the evidence the state is prepared to publish.

Recommending and sharing stories helps us decide which stories are most important to show our readers.

Recommend Story 0 Share: About the author Abdullahi Alhassan Senior Correspondent Maiduguri, Borno

Abdullahi Alhassan covers governance, civil society and security, including in Borno State, for The Gazette News.

Google News Follow WhatsApp Join channel Telegram Join channel Facebook Join channel X Join channel Instagram Join channel YouTube Join channel LinkedIn Join channel TikTok Join channel Pinterest Join channel Support independent journalismSupport independent journalismThe Gazette takes no government money. If this reporting was useful to you, a one-off contribution helps us keep reporters in the field and our work free to read.

Secure payment · One-off or monthly · Cancel anytime

Comments are moderated under our Commenting Guidelines. Be human, be fair.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Bauchi Health Agency Chief Dies With Four Children in Road Crash in Alkaleri

Buni Yobe Imams Peace Appeal: Governor Asks Damaturu Clerics for Calm Before 2027

Adamawa Online Media Chapel Pushes For Stronger Ties, Meets Info Commissioner, NPC

Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway Row: Donald Duke Calls Diri a “Local Champion”

The Gazette Daily Brief — the five stories that matter, in your inbox by 7am.

We use cookies to run the site, understand which reporting is read, and — where you agree — to show ads matched to your interests. Read our Cookie Policy

Your ad blocker is on. Advertising is what pays our reporters and keeps this site free to read — no subscription required. Allowing ads here costs you nothing and helps us keep reporting.

Continue without ads Need help? Contact us

Advertise with The Gazette Advert placement & enquiries Talk to our team about advert placement, sponsorships and partnership enquiries. We usually reply within business hours.