By Wealth Oghenemaro
In a disturbing revelation, the Chairman of Ughelli North Local Government Area, Olorogun Jaro Egbo, has disclosed that scavengers operating illegally in the area broke into a police station and stole a pumping machine, highlighting the growing audacity of criminal elements in the area.
Egbo made the disclosure during a media interaction on the state of security in Ughelli, expressing shock that such an act could occur at a facility meant to uphold law and order. “They didn’t even spare the police. When they stole from the station, that was when the police decided to act and apprehend the suspect,” he said.
The Chairman described the situation as a reflection of deeper systemic problems. According to him, the issue of scavengers—popularly referred to as iron condemn—has gone beyond petty theft and is now a full-blown security threat. “They are everywhere. They vandalized Ogor Market, stripped buildings of aluminum, looted our health center, and even tried to abduct a schoolchild,” he revealed.
Efforts to relocate the scavengers to a designated area in Ododego were frustrated by pressure from influential individuals, Egbo said, attributing the persistence of the menace to entrenched interests. “There are people benefitting from their activities. Each time we move to act, calls come in telling us to back off. That’s the sad reality,” he lamented.
Despite these setbacks, Egbo noted that security has significantly improved in the local government over the past ten months. He reported that 32 criminals have been neutralized and no incidents of robbery or kidnapping have occurred in the last four months. He credited these gains to the collaborative efforts of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, Commissioner of Police CP Abaniwonda, and the state’s security leadership.
Egbo also addressed the recent deployment of the Operation Sweep task force to Ughelli, a strategic move he believes will consolidate the security gains. He revealed that the council provided accommodation for the task force by peacefully negotiating with occupants of a government property, compensating them with N250,000 each to vacate.
