Scavengers stole wires from N3bn power line — Zulum
Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, says scavengers stole all the wires from a N3bn power line, prompting a ban on the scrap metal trade in the state. Read More:…
Borno State has for years grappled with vandalism of public infrastructure, a problem worsened by insurgency-related displacement and a thriving informal scrap metal trade that offers quick cash for stolen cables, transformers and pipelines. Power infrastructure is especially vulnerable because transmission routes often run through remote or poorly guarded terrain, making high-value copper and aluminium wiring an easy target for scavengers who sell the materials to scrap dealers.
Governor Babagana Zulum's disclosure highlights the financial toll of such theft on a state already strained by the costs of rebuilding after years of conflict, and ties into the long-running electricity supply challenges in the North-East, where Damaturu-Maiduguri connectivity has been a recurring infrastructure priority. Both Punch and Daily Trust agree on the scale of the loss and Zulum's account of the theft, with Punch additionally noting the governor's response — a ban on scrap metal trading in the state. Neither report details how the ban will be enforced, the timeline for replacing the stolen cables, or who will bear the cost of restoring the project.