Edo House of Assembly has passed a resolution urging the state government to ban metal scavengers, alleging escalating incidents of vandalism and theft attributed to scavengers.
The motion was moved by Mr Kaycee Osamwonyi (APC Uhumwode)under matters of public importance on Tuesday in Benin.
Osamwonyi highlighted the growing menace posed by unauthorised scrap dealers, often referred to as metal scavengers.
He noted that these individuals had been allegedly involved in criminal activities such as vandalising public and private properties to steal metals.
“A notable incident occurred in my constituency, where a secondary school was vandalised with its roof removed, and all the iron removed and carted away,” he said.
Osamwonyi said that these individuals often operate during times when residents were away, making it difficult to apprehend them.
In his consequential motion, Osamwonyi also called on the state government to set up a special task force to check the activities of metal scavengers.
Other lawmakers who supported the motion added that the proposed ban would help to protect public and private properties from further damage and restore order in communities affected by the activities of scavengers.
The speaker, Mr Blessing Agbebaku, thereafter directed that clean copies of the resolution be sent to the relevant authorities for further actions. NAN
