The Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, made a surprising revelation during his recent visit to communities in Jere and Maiduguri Metropolis.
He uncovered a disturbing scheme where certain individuals had built illegal dams to manipulate the water distribution system for their profit.
Instead of allowing water to flow freely for public use, these vendors had constructed specialized dams to divert and hoard large quantities of water.
This selfish act created an artificial scarcity, leading to inflated prices and unnecessary hardships for the citizens.
Zulum expressed his disappointment at this discovery, highlighting the irony of the government’s efforts to provide ample water while a few individuals exploited the system for personal gain.
These illegal dams, some of which could store over a million liters of water, posed a significant threat to the community’s access to clean water.
By trapping a substantial portion of the water supply intended for public consumption, these criminals not only disrupted the distribution network but also endangered the health and well-being of countless individuals.
The Governor’s frustration was palpable as he emphasized the magnitude of the problem.
With the government investing significant resources to treat and distribute approximately 40 million liters of water daily, the actions of these perpetrators undermined the entire water supply infrastructure.
“Every day, our treatment plant process and distribute about 40 million liters of water; these criminals trap the larger amount of those supplies for commercial gain.”
Zulum pledged to take swift and decisive action against those responsible, stressing that such behavior would not be tolerated.
He condemned the exploitation of the people’s suffering for selfish gains, vowing to protect the citizens from such criminal activities that put their lives at risk.
He said, “It is unacceptable that some individuals would exploit the suffering of our people for their own selfish gains. We will not tolerate such criminal activities that jeopardize the lives of our citizens.”
