... set market ablaze
Over 2000 commercial sex workers in Anambra state were rendered homeless and flushed out of business by the Anambra State Urban Development Board (ASUDEB) at the cattle market, Amansea in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The State Urban Development Board rounded up the place as at 3:12pm with over 50 armed police personnel, saying that the brothels were being used by kidnappers and other evil men in the society.
The visibly angry prostitutes quickly mobilised and set the remaining structures in the cattle market ablaze shortly after the demolition, accusing the ASUDEP officials of bias.
One of the prostitutes who gave her name as Rachael said the government officials were wicked and inhuman as they destroyed their brothel without notice, leaving behind some huts, kiosks and canteens that belong to the Hausa cattle traders.
Addressing newsmen, the General Manager, Anambra State Urban Development Board, Mr. Enemmuo Nathan Chinedu, who led the operation, said the exercise is part of Governor Willie Obiano's resolve to rid off all kinds of crimes and criminalities in the State, adding that the structures demolished were illegal buildings in Amansea Garriki Awka-north local government area where prostitutes, kidnappers and armed robbers reside.
He however noted that such demolition will be extended to Nnewi, Onitsha and other cities where brothel and illegal structures are situated until all prostitutes in the state relocate to other states, even as he debunked the allegation of not giving them prior notice, saying that three Weeks notice was given to them to vacate the vicinity before the operation.
According to him, "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 GM, I will ensure that this doesn't exist anymore in the State and our activities are in line with our amiable governor's policy on zero tolerance to criminals and kidnappers in the State" he said.
On the allegation of bias in the demolition exercise, the Secretary of the cattle market, Alhaji Bello Maigari stressed that all illegal structures in the market were earmarked by ASUDEB since 21 days ago, saying that their wives' canteens were not part of the ones marked for demolition.
"Ashawo is not part of our business here. Our main business is selling and buying of cows only and the idea of the demolition is to remove all illegal structures used for prostitution.
"The ones they did not demolished are the places where our cattle dealers that come from the North stay and canteens where our wives cook for our customers but those ones have been razed by the inferno" he regretted.
Newsmen also observed that Anambra State fire service later came to the place around 5:11Pm to extinguish the fire but before then, most of the buildings have been razed.
The prostitutes were also sighted boarding taxi to Ugwuoba in Oji River council area of Enugu State where newsmen learnt, they have another brothel.
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