Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum has banned metal scavenging in the state.
Zulum announced this following an on-the-spot assessment of discovering a large number of metal scraps believed to be parts of government property.
The governor who was on a site tour of projects came across large quantities of metal scraps, a substantial number of them believed to be property belonging to federal authorities and Borno state Government.
The governor noted that in the last few years, about a thousand people were killed in the state as a result of metal scavenging, adding that people go to extremes in the business with some allegedly stealing public property that include street lights poles and tanks belonging to telecommunication companies amongst others.
Governor Zulum also added that some vehicles in the local government are allegedly destroyed by those interested in the scavenging business, stressing that government cannot allow the nefarious activities to continue.
He then announced the banning of scavenging activities in the twenty-seven local government areas in the state and through executive order to that effect to bring sanity to business activities and safeguard the lives of the scavengers themselves.
Meanwhile, Kanyi Daily reported that Zulum a few days ago, released 80 buses and pick-up vans for free transportation of farmers from their communities to farmlands in a bid to reduce the high cost of living occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy.