…officials pulled down several shanties and unauthorised structures blocking drainage channels and obstructing traffic flow.
ANAMBRA, NIGERIA- The iNews Times | Shanties and other illegal structures were demolished during a coordinated environmental enforcement exercise carried out by the Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra, popularly known as OCHA Brigade, along the Upper Iweka and Uwangbede axis of the Onitsha-Owerri Road in Onitsha.
During Monday’s operation, officials pulled down several shanties and unauthorised structures blocking drainage channels and obstructing traffic flow.
The exercise, it was learnt, was aimed at cleaning up the area and discouraging residents, traders and developers from the hazardous and unlawful practice of erecting buildings or running businesses within restricted corridors.
Speaking at the scene, the Managing Director of the OCHA Brigade, Celestine Anere, said the move formed part of the agency’s mandate to safeguard lives and public infrastructure. He noted that illegal roadside shanties and structures on public property were specifically targeted.
Anere warned individuals and groups engaged in unlawful construction, roadside trading and encroachment on government land to desist, stressing that such actions threaten public safety, disrupt traffic, degrade the environment and undermine urban order.
He said structures posing safety risks to occupants and the public, as well as all unauthorised buildings, were dismantled, while traders occupying roads and pedestrian walkways were cleared to restore free movement for motorists and pedestrians.
He added that encroached government gardens and public spaces were reclaimed and sealed to forestall further illegal occupation and land grabbing.
According to him, the exercise was conducted peacefully and in compliance with the state government’s directive to sanitise and modernise the commercial city.
Anere noted that the affected areas recorded visible environmental improvement, improved access and a more organised urban outlook at the end of the operation.
He reiterated that government lands and public spaces are legally protected and must not be converted to private use, warning that future violations would attract strict enforcement.
He maintained that adherence to approved building plans, designated trading zones and land-use regulations remains compulsory for all residents and business owners, assuring that the agency would sustain efforts to restore order in public spaces.
On February 10, iNews Times reported that the OCHA Brigade carried out a similar exercise around Mgbuka Obosi Market in Idemili North Local Government Area, demolishing shanties and illegal structures erected beneath high-tension power lines as part of efforts to sanitise the area and prevent activities within restricted power line corridors.
