Insecurity: Edo To Regulate Scavengers, Scrap Dealers’ Activities

Edo State governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has pledged the authorities government’s enactment for the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to curb vandalism and modulate scrap and scavenging activities successful the state.

The politician made the committedness yesterday during a courtesy sojourn by the caller NSCDC commandant, Edo State Command, Commandant Akintayo Saidi Ayinla, astatine the Government House successful Benin City, the authorities capital.

Governor Okpebholo, during the visit, extended his condolences to the NSCDC implicit the passing of the precocious Commandant Gbenga Agun Joseph, describing the quality of his decease arsenic a shock.

Okpebholo said: “Let maine invited you to Government House this greeting and, archetypal of all, condole with you erstwhile again connected the passing of our person and brother, your predecessor. Having said that, I privation to invited you backmost to Edo. With the accusation I person earlier me, you are not caller to the State. So, I tin accidental that you are a lad of the soil.”

Addressing the contented of scavengers and scrap dealers, the politician condemned the increasing incidents of theft and vandalism linked to their operations.

He said: “The mode they spell astir stealing irons, removing and destroying spot belonging to radical is not acceptable astatine all. I cognize that with your zeal and knowing of the state’s terrain, you volition beryllium capable to instrumentality enactment to extremity this menace.”

Governor Okpebholo further announced plans to nonstop a measure to the Edo State House of Assembly to modulate the operations of scavengers and scrap dealers.

He added: “We are going to suggest a regulatory papers successful the signifier of a measure to the House of Assembly. When idiosyncratic is operating, helium should cognize his boundaries. If they spell beyond that, they should cognize that they are warring the government. We request to bash that truthful that determination volition beryllium sanity successful their operations.”

Earlier, the caller NSCDC Commandant, Akintayo Saidi Ayinla, commended the politician for his administration’s accordant enactment to information agencies successful the state, done the proviso of vehicles, fiscal assistance, and different resources.

Ayinla, who officially assumed bureau connected October 17, 2025, highlighted the expanding cases of vandalism associated with the scrap and scavenging industry, including the theft of electrical cables, manhole covers, and streetlight poles.

He warned: “While the scrap and scavenging manufacture contributes to economical activities, its operations person regrettably been linked to rising cases of vandalism and criminality. If not decently regulated, these activities could escalate into much terrible crimes specified arsenic conveyance theft and demolition of authorities infrastructure.”

The commandant disclosed that the NSCDC had commenced a census of scrap markets and scavenging points crossed Edo State to found a monitoring and power framework.

He appealed to the authorities to follow measures specified arsenic designating circumstantial areas for scrap markets, regulating their hours of operation, mandating registration and licensing of scrap dealers, and restricting the handling of captious infrastructure materials.