Gombe Bans Scrap Metal Trade Over Rising Security Threats

The Gombe State government has imposed an immediate statewide ban on scrap metal trading, popularly known as Bola Jari, citing growing security concerns and the alleged involvement of operators in criminal and unwholesome activities.

The decision was made on Monday during an expanded State Security Council meeting, presided over by Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, at the New Banquet Hall, Government House, Gombe.

Briefing journalists shortly after the meeting, the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Zubair Muhammad Umar, stated that the ban followed repeated complaints from security agencies regarding the inability to effectively monitor scrap dealers due to the fragmented and uncoordinated nature of their operations.

According to him, operators in the scrap metal business run multiple associations with no unified leadership, making regulation difficult and frustrating intelligence gathering. He added that security reports also linked some operators to illegal activities, prompting the decisive action by the council.

“Consequent upon these reports, the State Security Council has, with immediate effect, banned all Bola Jari activities across Gombe State,” Umar said.

He explained that the ban will remain until those involved are willing to come under a single, recognised umbrella and are fully registered by relevant authorities to allow proper monitoring of their activities.

Umar disclosed that the government plans to provide a central yard where registered dealers would eventually operate under strict supervision, instead of being scattered across neighbourhoods, particularly within the metropolis.

The Attorney-General warned that anyone caught engaging in scrap metal trading during the ban would face the full weight of the law, noting that security agencies have been directed to enforce the decision without exception.

The meeting also resolved to tighten controls on residency in the state. Umar said a standard profiling template would be developed by the Ministry of Justice and distributed to landlords and house agents. Under the new arrangement, personal details of tenants and new residents must be properly documented and stored in a central registry to aid security investigations when necessary.

On farmer–herder conflicts, Umar revealed that the government has set up an enforcement committee to implement recommendations of a White Paper on grazing reserves, forest reserves and cattle routes, many of which, he said, have been illegally encroached upon.

He stressed that the measures adopted by the council were aimed at strengthening internal security, improving intelligence gathering and ensuring peaceful coexistence across Gombe State.