BY: ABDULKADIR M LAWAN, OCTOBER 18, 2026/ 02:13PM

Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, has granted a waiver to scrap metal operators, popularly known as Ajakuta, to evacuate their stocks accumulated before the ban on the trade in the state.

He announced the waiver on Saturday while addressing operators in Maiduguri.

He explained that Borno has lost metals, electrical materials and infrastructure worth billions of naira to the activities of scavengers, a development that forced the government to ban the scrap metal trade.

The governor said the decision was taken in the overall interest of the state and not to deprive operators of their livelihood.

'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,' Gov. Zulum said.

He disclosed that the state spent over N3 billion to connect an electricity distribution line from Damaturu to Maiduguri, but lost all the wires to scavenging.

'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. 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 said.

The governor also cited security intelligence linking the trade to insurgency.

'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 added.

According to him, the waiver will allow operators to evacuate stocks at selected locations under supervision, as part of measures to cushion the effect of the ban on genuine businesses.

He urged the operators to submit workable proposals on how they can continue their businesses without destroying public infrastructure or jeopardizing security in the state.