The Edo State Public Property Protection Committee has issued a 21-day ultimatum to scavengers looting iron materials from state infrastructure, directing them to vacate all moats and public drainage systems. Chairman Eugene Okoloise disclosed that members of the Arewa community were responsible for widespread vandalism of government and private property, particularly metallic components in drainage systems. He condemned the destruction, noting that the scavengers had dismantled and sold off vital infrastructure elements, compromising public safety and engineering integrity. The committee has directed all individuals currently occupying or scavenging in state moats to cease operations within three weeks or face legal action. Okoloise emphasized that the state government would no longer tolerate the systematic dismantling of public works under the guise of scrap collection.
Eugene Okoloise's ultimatum exposes a growing crisis of informal scavenging that has evolved into structured dismantling of critical urban infrastructure, with the Arewa community identified as key actors in this degradation.
The directive reflects deeper tensions around urban governance and informal economies in Benin City, where scrap metal recovery has crossed into outright theft of public assets, undermining drainage systems meant to control flooding. The 21-day window suggests the state prefers negotiation over confrontation, but also signals waning patience with organized plunder of public property.
For residents of flood-prone areas, the looting of drainage infrastructure directly increases vulnerability during rainy seasons, turning neglected moats into health hazards and traffic obstacles. Ordinary citizens bear the cost when structural maintenance is compromised for scrap sales.
This episode fits a broader pattern in Nigerian cities where weak enforcement enables the gradual cannibalization of public projects, revealing how infrastructure decay is often not from neglect alone, but active, unchecked exploitation.
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