Enugu residents urge govt to outlaw activities of scavengers

Residents of Enugu State on Thursday called on the government to ban the activities of scavengers (aka iron condemn) in the metropolis.

Some residents told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu, that most scavengers carried out other dangerous activities inimical to the well-being of the society.

Mrs Mary Onyia, a teacher, told NAN that some of the scavengers raided people’s compounds when occupants had left for work, claiming to be looking for condemned iron.

Onyia, who resides at Achara Layout area, said scavengers should not be condoned as their activities were suspicious.

“Recently, a scavenger was caught evacuating some iron under a stair case until a woman saw him and identified the materials belonging to one of the tenants.

“When asked how he came about the iron and how did he know that the iron were there, he said he was searching for condemned iron when he saw them, ” Onyia said.

According to her, there is the need for government to stop their activities forthwith.

“I want the government to ban them out rightly and even urgently,” she said.

Mr Ikechukwu Ugwu, a resident of one of the estates in the city said that the scavengers became nuisance in the city as they helped in littering the places.

He said: “In our estate, we bag our wastes before dumping it at the bin for proper evacuation.

“However, immediately you drop your bag of waste, these scavengers will go and tear the bag, scatter the waste all over the place,’’ he said.

Ugwu said it was difficult to know exactly the real scavengers and what they were actually searching for.

“Before, we used to have real scavengers searching for condemned materials which they resell to some manufacturers.

“But today, one can hardly identify genuine scavengers and what they are looking for. To me their activities are no longer desirable,” he said.

Mrs Joy Umeadi, a resident of Coal Camp Enugu described the activities of scavengers in the city as unwanted.

She called some of them thieves who claimed to be scavengers.

“They are thieves; I saw one, few days ago, that entered people’s compound because there was no gate and carried generator (I pass my neighbour).

“He just put it inside his big bag and hanged on his shoulder. Police should be searching those bags that they are carrying and they should be banned, ” she said.(NAN)