The President of the National Association of Scrap and Waste Dealers of Nigeria (NASWDEN), Ogbu Luke Uchechukwu, has decried the widespread extortion experienced by members of the association on federal highways.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, Uchechukwu expressed frustration over the financial toll the illegal demands by police officers, soldiers, and hoodlums have taken on investors in the scrap business.
According to him, dealers often spend up to N500,000 at various checkpoints across different states just to settle security personnel and criminals before reaching their destinations.
He described the situation as heartbreaking, especially as many investors borrowed capital from banks and private individuals, only to end up with nothing due to the extortion.
Uchechukwu pledged to engage with state governors across the country in a bid to end the menace and create a more conducive environment for their operations.
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He said, “The case of double taxation is alarming, conveying scrap from Rivers state to Benin or Lagos alone our people spend over five hundred thousand on the highway. These money is spent at nipping points on police, soldiers, hoodlums with sticks, matchets and nails to wedge trucks carrying scraps. This is really disappointing, business cannot be smooth with this kind of mentality. We are working on devising a means in the next few weeks to clear the hoodlums.
“We are doing all we can to stop scavenging in the country, first if you are caught buying stolen goods from scavengers you will be arrested and charged to court because without buyers these thieves will not be encouraged. The union is working with all the security agencies to stop the operations of scavengers in the country.”