As part of a strategic move aimed at checkmating the activities of criminals within Ogwashi-Uku metropolis, the community has commenced moves to ban the activities of scavengers .
The scavengers commonly known as ‘iron condemn pickers’ are mainly Hausas from the Northern part of the country and beyond.
Sources alleged that the scavengers go beyond the picking of condemn irons into breaking, entry and stealing.
Those who spoke to Ogwashi-Uku Metro on the matter, noted that the move to stop the activities of the scavengers would go a long way in checkmating some of the noticeable crimes in the community.
Findings show that a town crier was directed to bring the notice of the move banning scavenging in Ogwashi-Uku metropolis to the residents through an announcement that was made round the town with a mega phone.
A resident of the community, who gave her name as Mrs. Ifeoma, told Ogwashi-Uku Metro that a scavenger once attempted to steal her cooking pot, which she left at the back of her house.
“The funny aspect of the whole incident was that the man had sometimes in the past bought condemn household items from me. Probably that was what spurred him to come back on a day I was not at home.
“The day the iron condemn man came, I went to Ogwashi-Uku Afor market. As the ‘Okada’ that was carrying me stopped in front of my compound, I noticed that someone came out from the back of our building.
“I quickly moved towards the back of the house only to see that the iron condemn man had put the iron pot into his truck and was covering it when he heard the sound of our motorcycle.
“He panicked when he saw me. I asked him what he was looking for, he could not give me a clear response. I had to invite the Okada man who intervened by asking him to open his truck which he had covered with a sack.
“Seeing the iron condemn man hesitate, the Okada man opened the sack and behold, my iron pot was inside the truck. So, if the community decides to ban scavenging, there is nothing wrong with that”, she explained.
Recall that men of Ubulu-Uku vigilante group had sometimes ago apprehended a scavenger somewhere at Isho Quarters as he was carting away electricity cables stolen from a sister neighbouring Ubulu-Unor community.
The cables where packed in the community skill acquisition center building for safe keeping by the leadership of the community town’s union.
The scavenger had broken into the building through the walls and succeeded in moving away the cables before he was arrested by men of Ubulu-Uku vigilante.
