Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, has disclosed that the state lost electricity distribution wires worth more than ₦3 billion to metal scavengers, raising concerns over the protection of public infrastructure and security.

Zulum said the stolen materials were meant for an electricity distribution line project linking Damaturu in Yobe State to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

The governor made this known over the weekend during a meeting with scrap metal dealers, where he urged them to submit proposals on how they could continue their businesses without endangering public safety or damaging government infrastructure.

He explained that the ban on scrap metal trading in Borno State was introduced to address security threats and prevent further destruction of public assets, not to deprive traders of their means of livelihood.

According to him, the government had invested more than ₦3 billion in the electricity distribution line project, only for the wires to be lost to metal scavenging activities.

Zulum also expressed concern over the dangers faced by scavengers, particularly those operating in communities where security conditions remained unsafe for civilian activities.

He said hundreds of scavengers had reportedly been killed while searching for scrap metals in such areas before the state government imposed the ban.

The governor further alleged that security intelligence indicated that insurgents were using scrap metal trading channels to sell looted materials.

He disclosed that legitimate operators had been allowed to evacuate scrap metals collected before the ban from designated locations to minimise disruptions to their businesses.

The governor urged the dealers to work with the government to develop a framework that would enable legitimate scrap metal trading to continue without compromising security or threatening critical infrastructure.