Scavengers on rampage!

• Abuja residents raise the alarm over activities of refuse collectors

From **Charity Nwakaudu, **Abuja

Residents of some communities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, have raised the alarm over alleged theft, intimidation and indiscriminate dumping of refuse by scavengers. They alleged that scavengers operating around their neighbourhoods had become a source of fear, with some accusing them of stealing phones, clothes, footwears and other valuables.

Vivian Ndubisi, recounted how a scavenger allegedly entered her compound after a neighbour invited him to collect refuse and moved close to her window. She said she did not initially suspect anything, but later discovered that her new phone, which she left near the window, was missing:

“I left the phone close to the window. After the man left, I discovered that the phone was gone. When we called it, it was immediately switched off.” She said the phone might have been taken through the window: “Clothes spread outside to dry, slippers and other household items also disappeared after scavengers visited the area.

“Residents introduced a rule restricting scavengers from entering compounds, directing them to collect refuse at designated points such as estate or community gates. But some residents still take their refuse inside the neighbourhood, giving scavengers access to residential areas.”

Ndubisi claimed that some scavengers collect money from residents to evacuate waste but later dump it along roads and other open spaces. She warned that indiscriminate dumping could worsen flooding, erosion and other environmental problems in communities already battling poor drainage:

“Sometimes, they look around to ensure nobody is watching and dump everything somewhere. They collect money to take the refuse away but end up leaving it where it can cause problems. They walk around with innocent faces, but we are afraid because some of them carry weapons. Nobody wants to confront them.”

A Jabi resident, Ameh Omale, said: “Scavengers are really causing problems. If you walk around most parts of the community, you will see heaps of trash everywhere. They would collect money from people to pack their rubbish, but instead of disposing of it properly, they dump it elsewhere. They are causing more harm than good. They collect our money, pollute our environment and still steal our belongings.”

A resident, Bridget, said Abuja is becoming increasingly vulnerable to criminal activities because of its porous boundaries and security challenges. She cited two burglary incidents in Kuje involving scavengers: “You see these Baban bola (scavengers), they are professional criminals. Forget about their pitiable look. At night, they broke into my neighbour’s house and went away with expensive valuables. We lodged a complaint, but till now, nothing has been done.”

Christy Ike said residents could no longer leave clothes outside to dry or footwears in front of their doors without keeping watch: “Any day you are washing, you must be ready to keep watch. If you leave the compound, you may not meet your materials.”

Nyanya resident, Ebere Chukwu, blamed the situation partly on the absence of an organised system for collecting domestic waste: “Previously, the Abuja Environmental Board (BEB) was more organised. As long as there is no means of disposing of domestic waste, the scavengers will keep increasing in number. The evil these scavengers are capable of is limitless.”

However, a scavenger, Mohammed, appealed to residents not to criminalise all scavengers because of the activities of some: “There is no job. I have no education and I have no skills. Not every scavenger is a thief. I know people are ruining our reputation, but we are not all bad. I am into this business because it helps me feed my family, though they are not here with me.”

Another scavenger, Adamu, who operates around Kubwa said: “We don’t tolerate stealing among ourselves. Anybody who is caught stealing faces disciplinary action from us. We either collect their trucks or go physical on them.”

But Timothy, a member of a vigilante group in Byazhin, Kubwa, said the activities of some scavengers exposed residents to pilfering, burglary, illegal surveillance, knife attacks and hooliganism: “Some scavengers operate at odd hours, attacking innocent residents and vandalising government property.

“The authorities should implement the ban, which should include moving these young people to skills acquisition centres or other sources of livelihood, while the waste management system in the city needs to be effective, thereby making their access to bins difficult.”

Residents called on the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), to establish designated waste collection points, strengthen security around residential communities and regulate scavenging activities to prevent genuine waste collectors from being used as cover for criminal activities.”

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