The men of the Anambra state Capital Territory Development Authority have dislodged illegal occupants of an uncompleted building in Awka , the state capital. The enforcement team of ACTDA in collaboration with Anambra State Vigilante Group (AVG) carried out the operations over concerns of the public.
There had been allegations that the facility which was initially meant to be used as a hotel had become a hideout for drug peddling and other illicit enterprises within the structure which is located along the Enugu- Onitsha Expressway, close to the Amawbia Flyover. Officials of the two teams acted swiftly to dislodge about 300 individuals from various parts of the country who had unlawfully occupied the structure.
Addressing newsmen shortly after the exercise, the Commander of Awka Capital Territory Development Authority, Mr. Ugochukwu Nwimo, said there was an urgent need for intervention, citing rampant illegal enterprises and public nuisance perpetrated by the occupants of the building. Mr Nwimo who disclosed that there were prior warnings and 14 days eviction notice to the illegal occupants of the structure, regretting that they persisted in their nefarious activities, hence, a comprehensive response from government authorities.
Mr Nwimo who harped on the need for law and order within the state capital and beyond, disclosed that an interaction with the owner of the building revealed that he was not aware that some miscreants and unauthorized tenants were using his facility for illegal activities. A security guard who was originally occupying the building Mr Muhammed Garba said he accommodated the other occupants based on brotherhood and tribal affiliation but acknowledged evicted persons were using the place for nefarious activities.
Some residents of Awka and Amawbia who spoke on the condition of anonymity, expressed gratitude for ACTDA’s intervention, applauding the restoration of order and the eradication of the criminal hub by the Soludo led administration. The people unanimously acknowledged the persistent security and social challenges posed by the presence of the occupants and welcomed the decisive action taken by the government through agencies like ACTDA to restore sanity to the state
