Anambara Sex Workers Embark On Protest and Strike

By Vincent Ujumadu
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).
It 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.”