The Ebonyi State House of Assembly has passed a new law seeking to control scrap trading, house rents and estate agency charges while protecting residents from exploitation.
Known as the Ebonyi State Sale of Scraps, House Rent and Agent Fees Regulation Law, 2026, the legislation is designed to tackle vandalism, unfair property charges and abuses in the housing sector.
If assented to by Governor Francis Nwifuru, the law will take effect immediately and introduce rules covering the sale, possession, movement and disposal of metal and electrical scraps.
Under the new legislation, only licensed dealers will be permitted to buy, sell, possess for sale, transport or dispose of scrap materials.
Anyone who violates the provision could face up to two years in prison or a fine of N500,000.
The Assembly also targeted fraudulent practices in the property sector.
Landlords who secure possession of accommodation through deception, false representation or by hiding important information will be liable to prosecution.
The law further places a ceiling on estate agency charges, limiting agents to a maximum of two per cent of the gross value of a property transaction.
It also requires landlords to follow standard rent rates that will be prescribed by the governor for different categories of accommodation.
Estate agents operating in Ebonyi State’s capital will equally be required to register with the Ministry of Capital City under the new framework.
Presenting the bill, House Leader Kingsley Ikoro said the measure was intended to address problems that had affected both public infrastructure and residents seeking accommodation.
According to him, the law would help reduce the theft of critical assets, protect the environment and prevent excessive charges in the housing market.
Several lawmakers backed the legislation during debate, describing it as a necessary response to rising concerns over scrap theft and arbitrary increases in house rents.
Victor Nwoke, Aloysius Nwodo, Oluchukwu Ezeali, Friday Ogbuewu and Celestine Ogba all supported the measure.
Speaker Moses Odunwa also warned that activities involving scrap dealers had contributed significantly to damage within communities.
He said effective implementation of the legislation could improve public safety and bring greater order to property transactions across the state.
Members subsequently examined the bill clause by clause under the Committee of the Whole and corrected grammatical issues identified during consideration.
It was eventually passed unanimously by the lawmakers.
The passage formed part of decisions taken during plenary presided over by Odunwa.
In a separate development, the Assembly adopted the Auditor-General’s report on Ebonyi State Government’s consolidated financial statements for the financial year ended December 31, 2025.
Lawmakers said the accounts complied with accepted accounting principles.
The House also screened and confirmed nine nominees forwarded by Governor Nwifuru to serve 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 after it had previously been disbanded and removed from the state’s administrative structure.
The Assembly’s latest legislation is therefore expected to introduce clearer rules for scrap dealers, landlords and estate agents while giving authorities a stronger basis to sanction abuses in the affected sectors.