I sat, in between these days of Christmas Eve, Christmas and Boxing day, looking across the balcony somewhere in the deep of Odo Ere in Yagba West local government and I saw someone picking almost everything on the “soil” but not cleaning the environment, off course pushing an iron in square shaped cart with tyres. Obviously the big boy amongst them and got to know, he is a MEBOLA, otherwise called scavenger, those who pick irons, plastic and what have you indiscriminately disposed and also steal when opportunities offered itself.
I took a deep breath and knew there is trouble looming. These are people who confront and kill the owners of things they pick, for they have a self conviction that they can pick or carry whatever they like.
In Ilorin, Kwara State, almost all streets are blocked against them by either or both approvals from the Police or and environmental authority, why? They have started attacking owners of such claimed unwanted properties and the reports are getting one, too many.
In Akwa Ibom today, they don’t move around, because the last straw that broke the carmel’s back was the killing of a man on a fateful Sunday for asking them to drop his metal or aluminum pots he returned from church to meet them carting away. Government did the needful by banishing them to a spot, stopping them from roving around the streets.
In Lokoja, off course several stories of confrontation and successful lootings abound, like a woman around Nostalgia junction who lost all her catering lots to same set of people. In her case, she only returned to their completed removal of one of the sources of her living.
When will my state Kogi State, a state now occupied by Mallams and Abokis as well as foreigners, must stop this rising menace or will they wait till these Mebolas/Scavengers loot people’s properties and start killing them? Behold, a look around you will show they are increasing in their numbers by the days, while those they pick their things are not increasing. (sic)
May I also draw the attention to the fact that, these people remove even uncompleted building wiring materials, windows and what have you. A stitch in time, surely saves nine.
These days our villages or if you like semi towns are not as occupied as the cities and once those who head for the farms does, the market women moves, the school teachers and pupils leave for the school, who is left back at home?- the weak and aged. Should we leave them to the mercy of these mindless Mebolas/scavengers?!!!
I beckon on even the LG Council Authorities of Mopamuro, Yagba East and West LGAs, and others as well as the State Government and the House of Assembly to make laws that will PROHIBIT them from moving around to pick anything.
Anyone who wants to sell to them, dash/ gift them or buy from them, should go to their base (if any) and do such transaction with them.
Further to these moves, they should also be given UNIFORM while REGISTERING them for TAX purposes and IDENTIFICATION.
Remember they have no property or anything to lose. That is the fact. How many of us answer the name of our town, our many of us don’t know our source, just ask yourself how you can trace a Usman Kotonvora? A Saliu Hauri who have no wife, kid or known address and has just a mat or what?
Let us not watch, while they destroy and hack down souls again, this is another SECURITY awakening.
Not minding the deaf ears, I will keep warning!!!
Refs :
I have uninterestingly and unattended to also written in the past about these:
- Stop Selling Our Lands To Strangers, Rotate Them
- Have Their Database Before They Settle Amongst Us.
- Insist no leadership Is Permanent Amongst Them, Risk Not Your Authority.
- Clear our Highway hangers by at least 30m to 50 m.
– Dayo Onibiyo writes from Yagba East.
