The Commissioner of Police, Osun State Police Command, CP Mohammed Umar Abba, psc, on Tuesday met with the Scrap Dealers Association, Osun State Branch to address pressing issues.
He condemned the rising trend of scavengers’ activities in the state, including stealing from households, companies, and government facilities, especially electricity cables, and selling the stolen goods to scrap dealers.
CP Abba sternly warned the association that receiving stolen properties is a more severe offense than stealing, as it enables and encourages theft. He noted that if there are no buyers, there will not be sellers.
The CP highlighted recent cases of scavengers vandalizing power cables in transformers and power lines, which can have severe consequences on the power grid and potentially escalate into a national crisis. He urged the association to implement mechanisms to verify the authenticity of goods sold to them and report suspicious individuals masquerading as scavengers to the Police.
Failure to comply with this directive will result in constant raids on their shops and scrap yards, holding everyone accountable. The CP emphasized the importance of collaboration with the Police to prevent theft, receiving stolen goods, and vandalization of power infrastructure, and to safeguard Osun State as a whole.
