AWKA- No fewer than 200 commercial sex workers residing at the cattle market near the border community of Amansea in Anambra State have gone on rampage, destroying shanties in their vicinity after they were rendered homeless and flushed out by officials of the Anambra State Urban Development Board (ASUDEB).
sex-workersIt was gathered that ASUDEB officials swooped on them at about 3pm with armed security operatives on the suspicion that the brothels were being used by suspected kidnappers and other hoodlums to perpetrate crime.
Most of the prostitutes have already relocated to the nearby Ugwuoba in Oji River local government area of Enugu State.
An eye witness said that after the demolition of the houses, the visibly angry prostitutes mobilized and set the remaining untouched structures in the cattle market ablaze, accusing the ASUDEP officials of bias.
According to some of the sex workers, government officials did not give them any notice, accusing them of bias as they destroyed only their homes, leaving behind some huts, kiosks and canteens belonging to the cattle traders.
However, the General Manager of ASUDEB, Mr. Nathan Enemuo, who led the operation, said the exercise was part of Governor Willie Obiano’s resolve to rid the state of all kinds of crime and criminal activities in the state, adding that the structures demolished were illegal buildings in Amansea Garki Awka-North local government area where prostitutes, kidnappers and armed robbers have allegedly made a safe home.
He said that such demolition would be extended to the other urban towns of Nnewi, Onitsha and other cities where sex workers operate in illegal structures.
He also debunked the claim by the sex workers that government did not give them prior notice, saying that the board gave them three weeks notice to vacate the area, but they failed to do so.
He said: “A lot of prostitutes live around Amansea cattle market, spoiling our children and constituting nuisance in the area and you know that anywhere there is brothel, criminals and kidnappers hover around there. In my capacity as the ASUDEB general manager, I will ensure that this does not exist anymore in the state and our activities are in line with our amiable governor’s policy on zero tolerance to crime and kidnapping in the state.”
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