By Chinaza Osigwe
Tension erupted in Anambra State as an alleged illegal taskforce, reportedly made up of expelled members of the National Association of Scrap and Waste Dealers Employers of Nigeria (NASWDEN), impounded more than 25 trucks carrying scrap and detained drivers and their escorts for three days at the Asaba end of the Enugu–Onitsha Expressway. Some of the escorts were reportedly beaten and forced to pay large sums of money.The group allegedly demanded ₦500,000 from each truck owner for failing to register with their faction or not possessing membership ID cards. The incident sparked outrage among union members, who called for immediate arrest, investigation, and prosecution of those involved.NASWDEN President, Comrade Alhaji Abdulfatai Adisa Ogunwale, also known as Baba Ede, described the action as illegal and in violation of the union’s constitution and labour laws in Nigeria. He said the expelled members, removed from the union on September 26, 2025, had impersonated the current leadership by organising an illegal National Delegates Conference on August 28, 2025, defying a Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment directive.Ogunwale alleged that the expelled officials had extorted over ₦1 billion from members before their expulsion and refused to render financial accounts to the union’s governing bodies. He also accused them of converting union assets for personal use and claiming leadership positions illegally.He urged members in the Southeast and South-South to resist the extortion and harassment by the illegal faction. Ogunwale reiterated that the authentic NASWDEN leadership recognised by the Federal Ministry of Labour consists of himself as president and Comrade Stephen Isobomuwa Obayuwana as national secretary.“The following individuals are expelled and should no longer be recognised as officials of our union: Uche Ogbu Luke, Ismail Ajegbe aka Charger, Anayo Ogbu Christopher, Auwal Tuje, JohnPaul Omeonu, Oche Christopher Obeh, and John Egaji Obeh,” he said.A truck driver who was detained by the alleged illegal taskforce described the multiple levies imposed during scrap transportation as “neck-twisting.” He said: “While conveying scraps from Awka to Benin, we’re made to pay several levies to the taskforce. In Delta State alone, each truck pays ₦73,000 in Asaba and ₦53,000 in Issele–Azagba; at Benin Ring Road, we pay ₦50,000. How much do we gain from every trip?”The driver appealed to NASWDEN’s national leadership, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, and state environmental agencies to intervene and protect scrap and waste dealers from further extortion and intimidation.
