Abia State Govt Cracks Down on Theft by Scrap Dealers, Sets New Regulatory Framework

The Abia State government has raised concerns over the increasing theft of government and private property by suspected scrap collectors and other thieves, who allegedly sell stolen items to scrap dealers at minimal prices. Stolen materials reportedly include electrical cables, transformer components, railway materials, manhole covers, iron sheets, street lights, and household iron items.

Speaking on Friday in Umuahia during a meeting with scrap dealers and scavengers, Commissioner for Environment Philemon Ogbonna described the theft as sabotage and a financial burden on property owners. He warned that the government would not allow such criminal activities to continue, noting that they also raise serious security concerns.

Ogbonna explained that the meeting aimed to develop a lawful framework to regulate scrap operations rather than restrict business. He directed all scrap dealers and scavengers to obtain the Abia State Social Security Identification Number and to register their businesses with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). He further instructed that all operators function under a single, government-recognized union.

Representatives of the scrap dealers, Mr. Uwakwe Oke and Ukachi Emenike, pledged their support for the state’s sanitation and reform policies, assuring that they would not allow thieves within their operations. They also called on the government to investigate reports of extortion targeting their members in the state.