The Ebonyi State House of Assembly has passed a bill regulating scrap trading, house rents and estate agency fees in the state, with the aim of curbing vandalism, exploitation and arbitrary charges in the property sector.
The legislation, titled “The Ebonyi State Sale of Scraps, House Rent and Agent Fees Regulation Law, 2026,” was passed during Wednesday’s plenary presided over by the Speaker, Moses Odunwa.
The law will take effect upon assent by Governor Francis Nwifuru.
Under the legislation, the purchase, sale, possession for sale, transportation or disposal of metal and electrical scraps will be restricted to licensed dealers operating in accordance with regulations established under the law.
Any person who violates the provision faces up to two years’ imprisonment or a fine of ₦500,000.
The law also seeks to check fraudulent practices in the housing sector by criminalising the acquisition of possession of accommodation through fraud, misrepresentation or concealment of material facts. Offenders may face up to two years in prison.
In another key provision, estate agents’ fees have been capped at two per cent of the gross value of a property transaction, while landlords will be required to comply with standard rents prescribed by the governor for applicable categories of accommodation.
The legislation further mandates all estate agents operating in the state capital to register with the Ministry of Capital City as part of measures to improve transparency and professionalism in property transactions.
Presenting the bill, the House Leader, Kingsley Ikoro, said the legislation was necessary to address vandalism, environmental degradation and exploitation in the housing sector.
“This legislation is very important to us as a people because it will help check vandalism of critical assets, environmental degradation and exploitative practices in the housing sector,” Ikoro said.
Contributing to the debate, lawmakers Victor Nwoke, Aloysius Nwodo, Oluchukwu Ezeali, Friday Ogbuewu and Celestine Ogba described the bill as timely, particularly in tackling the theft of scrap materials and arbitrary increases in house rents.
Speaker Odunwa said scrap dealers had caused considerable damage to society, expressing confidence that the new legislation would help improve public safety and restore sanity to property transactions.
The bill was considered clause by clause by the Committee of the Whole, with lawmakers making corrections to identified grammatical errors before unanimously passing it.
Meanwhile, the Assembly approved the state Auditor-General’s report on the consolidated financial statements of the Ebonyi State Government for the year ended December 31, 2025. The report stated that the financial statements conformed with accepted accounting principles.
The lawmakers also screened and confirmed nine nominees of Governor Nwifuru as coordinators and members of the management committee of the Amasiri Development Centre in Afikpo Local Government Area.
The confirmation followed the reinstatement of the development centre by the state government after its earlier disbandment and delisting.
