CITIZENS COMPASS–The Anambra State Government, on Monday, April 22, 2024, demolished structures of Sand miners along Niger Street by the bank of the River Niger, Onitsha, Anambra State.
The exercise which started on Sunday, continued on Monday and was supervised by the Onitsha South Local Government Chairman, Mr Emeka Orji.
Speaking, a victim of the demolition, Lucky Okoye, said over 20 houses, housing River Craft Machines numbering about 40 were affected and each River Craft Machine is employing between 18 to 25 workers who are now displaced.
A trader Mrs Agnes Ezeh, who lost some of her commodities in her destroyed shop said that over 60 shops belonging to petty traders were also destroyed in Monday’s demolition. Sand beaches were not left out as they were leveled in the demolition exercise, making the number of displaced people about 760, apart from 250 people displaced in Sunday demolition.
The affected victims of Monday demolition were Uche Okafor Sand Beach, Beneath Ozoemena Sand Beach, Chidi Iheme, Alhaji Danladi and Sumo, Alhaji Salusi Nnaemeka Sand Beach, Obidi Ibeanu and Daniel Eze Beaches.
The named beach owners were mostly tenants of Lake Petroleum Limited, the owners of the houses and shops they were occupying. Each of the Sand beaches with River Craft Machine.
Other companies affected by Monday’s demolition are Amaonye and Okigbo Braches with not less than 80 workers, while over 30 shop owners in the area were displaced by the demolition.
–Vanguard
