Nigerians, especially residents of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, have expressed concerns over the upsurge in the activities of scavengers, who wander around neighbourhoods at odd hours, posing security risks.
The residents are pleading with the authorities to intensify enforcement, limit their activities, and provide alternative means of domestic waste disposal.
In the FCT, there is a damning image associated with the nomenclature of waste scavengers, popularly known as ‘Baban bola’.
Many of them have reportedly used the title as a cover for all sorts of criminal activities. They rob and pilfer residents’ properties, vandalise and steal government assets and, working in gangs, harass innocent citizens.
Some of them, according to reports, go about as scavengers by day and then operate as armed robbers and pickpockets by night.
Speaking to us, some residents of the FCT and its outskirts said the rising cases of kidnapping and other related crimes could be linked to scavengers who move around unperturbed.
We gathered that, in recent times, major locations such as Nyanya, Karu, Jikwoyi, Mararaba and Masaka, all suburbs of the FCT, have had their neighbourhoods crowded with scavengers.
A resident simply identified as Mama Amina told YEMMEY NEWS that Abuja is fast becoming a hotspot for kidnappers and other criminal elements due to its porous boundaries and security setup.
She said two major incidents of burglary were reportedly carried out by scavengers in Mararaba, and that nothing had been done to permanently end the menace.
“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,” she said.
Another resident, Ifeanyi Ike, in Nyanya, regretted the absence of an organised system for collecting domestic waste, stating that the flawed system empowers criminals who disguise themselves as scavengers.
“Previously, the Abuja Environmental Board 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,” he said.
On his part, Suleman Danladi blamed the rising insecurity in the North for the situation, noting that the young men who engage in scavenging used to be thriving farmers in their villages until the insurgency.
Also speaking to YEMMEY NEWS, some scavengers, who mostly spoke Hausa, said they ventured into the job to make ends meet, adding that they had to feed their families.
A scavenger, Ibrahim Dantata, said, “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 four wives and nine children in Zamfara.”
Another scavenger, simply identified as Adamu, who carries out his activities around Nyanya and Karu, said they punish any scavenger caught stealing or engaging in any criminal activity.
“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,” he said.
But Mr Ndu Nwokolo, a security expert and Managing Partner at Nextier, said the menace of scavengers in Abuja has exposed residents to pilfering, burglary, illegal surveillance, knife attacks and hooliganism.
According to him, during odd hours, the scavengers inflict violence on innocent individuals and vandalise government property.
He advised the Federal Capital Territory Administration to enforce the ban on indiscriminate disposal of refuse and scavenging.
He said, “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 (scavengers) access to bins difficult.”
