NEWS
Ebonyi State House of Assembly Passes Law to Regulate Scrap Trade, House Rents and Estate Agent Fees
The Ebonyi State House of Assembly has passed a landmark legislation seeking to tackle scrap theft, property-related exploitation and excessive charges by estate agents across the state.
The bill, titled “The Ebonyi State Sale of Scraps, House Rent and Agent Fees Regulation Law, 2026,” was passed during plenary presided over by the Speaker, Moses Odunwa.
The legislation is expected to take effect immediately if assented to by Governor Francis Nwifuru.
Under the new law, the sale, purchase, possession, transportation and disposal of metal and electrical scraps will be restricted to licensed dealers operating within regulations established by the state.
Anyone found violating the provisions on scrap trading could face up to two years in prison or a fine of as much as ₦500,000.
The legislation also introduces measures aimed at protecting tenants and regulating property transactions. Landlords who obtain possession of accommodation through fraud, misrepresentation or concealment of material facts could face imprisonment of up to two years.
In a significant move to reduce the financial burden associated with property transactions, the law limits estate agents’ fees to a maximum of two per cent of the gross value of a property transaction.
It further requires landlords to comply with standard rents to be prescribed by the governor for different categories of accommodation once the law comes into force.
Estate agents operating within the state capital will also be required to register with the Ministry of Capital City, a measure designed to improve transparency, accountability and professionalism in the property sector.
The House Leader, Kingsley Ikoro, who presented the bill, said the legislation was aimed at addressing multiple challenges, including the vandalism of public infrastructure, environmental degradation, arbitrary rent increases and exploitative practices in the housing market.
During the debate, lawmakers Victor Nwoke, Aloysius Nwodo, Oluchukwu Ezeali, Friday Ogbuewu and Celestine Ogba backed the legislation, describing it as a timely intervention against scrap theft and unreasonable increases in house rents.
Speaker Moses Odunwa also highlighted the damage caused by illegal scrap dealers, stressing that effective implementation of the legislation could help improve public safety and bring greater order to property transactions across the state.
The bill was subjected to clause-by-clause consideration by the Committee of the Whole, during which lawmakers corrected identified grammatical errors before unanimously passing it.
In another development, the Assembly adopted the report of the state Auditor-General on the consolidated financial statements of the Ebonyi Government for the financial year ended December 31, 2025. The report was said to conform with accepted accounting principles.
The lawmakers also screened and confirmed nine nominees appointed by Governor Nwifuru as coordinator and members of the management committee of the Amasiri Development Centre in Afikpo Local Government Area.
Their confirmation followed the reinstatement of the development centre by the Ebonyi Government after it had previously been disbanded and delisted.
The latest legislative actions reflect the Assembly’s efforts to strengthen regulation in areas considered critical to public safety, housing affordability, environmental protection and local administration.