The Ebonyi State House of Assembly has passed legislation seeking to regulate scrap trading, house rents and estate agency fees across the state.

The bill, known as “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 come into force immediately after it receives the assent of Governor Francis Nwifuru.

A major focus of the law is the regulation of the purchase, sale, possession, transportation and disposal of metal and electrical scraps. Under the proposed framework, such activities would only be permitted for licensed dealers operating in compliance with regulations established under the law.

Anyone found violating the scrap-related provisions could face a jail term of up to two years or a fine of not more than N500,000.

The law also introduces measures aimed at protecting tenants and regulating activities within the property sector. Landlords who obtain possession of accommodation through fraud, false representation or deliberate concealment of important information would commit an offence and could be sentenced to up to two years in prison.

In addition, estate agents would be restricted from charging excessive fees. The legislation sets the maximum estate agency fee at two per cent of the gross amount involved in a property transaction.

The law further requires landlords to comply with standard rents prescribed by the governor for specified categories of accommodation once the legislation takes effect.

Estate agents operating within Ebonyi State’s capital would also be required to register with the Ministry of Capital City. The measure is intended to improve accountability, transparency and professionalism in property transactions.

While presenting the bill, the House Leader, Kingsley Ikoro, said the legislation was necessary to address vandalism, environmental damage and unfair practices in the housing sector.

Ikoro said the law would help protect critical public assets while addressing problems associated with the scrap trade and property transactions.

During the debate, lawmakers including Victor Nwoke, Aloysius Nwodo, Oluchukwu Ezeali, Friday Ogbuewu and Celestine Ogba expressed support for the legislation.

They described the measure as timely, particularly in tackling scrap theft and arbitrary increases in house rents.

Speaker Moses Odunwa also expressed concern over the activities of some scrap dealers, noting that the trade had contributed to significant damage in society. He said effective enforcement of the legislation would help improve public safety and bring greater order to property transactions.

The bill was considered clause by clause by the Committee of the Whole before lawmakers unanimously passed it. Some grammatical errors identified during consideration were also corrected.

In another development, the House adopted the report of the state Auditor-General on the consolidated financial statements of the Ebonyi State Government for the financial year ended December 31, 2025. The House said the accounts complied with accepted accounting principles.

The lawmakers also screened and confirmed nine nominees put forward by Governor Francis Nwifuru to serve as coordinator and members of the management committee of the Amasiri Development Centre in Afikpo Local Government Area.

The screening followed the reinstatement of the development centre after it had previously been disbanded and removed from the list of recognised development centres by the Ebonyi State Government.