Crime Den Razed in Anambra,Drugs and Gun Recovered
The Anambra State Government has demolished the popular Airtight Guest House at Okpuno in Awka South Local Government Area.
The guest house reportedly served as a brothel in Awka, the state capital.
Operatives of the state security outfit, Agunechemba, carried out the demolition exercise on Sunday amid tight security. The brothel was found to be a safe haven for major drug peddlers, with a large quantity of illicit drugs discovered on Saturday night.
Findings revealed that operatives of Agunechemba swooped on the complex on Saturday, arresting its manager, storekeeper, and barman, along with 20 women suspected to be commercial sex workers and several male patrons.
The guest house, located at Y-Junction, Okpuno, Awka South Local Government Area, had been identified as a den of criminals and drug traffickers. The operatives, led by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Community Security, Mr. Ken Emeakayi, intercepted a large consignment of hard drugs in the store of the illegal facility.
During the raid, the manager and store operator of the guest house reportedly confessed to dealing in hard drugs, in addition to renting out rooms to prostitutes for short-term use.
The manager of the guest house, Mr. Paul Chibuike, also known as “Mandela,” from Ezza South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, told newsmen that he was only managing the business for his employer, whom he identified simply as “a Nnewi man.” He further disclosed that his employer owns another drug outlet on Abakaliki Street, a known red-light district in Awka.
He added that they monitored the activities of prostitutes to prevent them from bringing men to stay overnight at the facility.
Some of the drugs recovered from the brothel included Tramadol, Indian hemp, nitrous oxide (popularly known as “laughing gas”), Rohypnol, and several other substances. A locally made single-barrel shotgun was also recovered.
The manager claimed that the gun had been abandoned by a guest who had used the facility.
In response, the Anambra State Government swiftly deployed a bulldozer to demolish the building, citing the Anambra Homeland Security Law, which empowers the government to take over or destroy any property used for kidnapping, drug trafficking, and other criminal activities.
Mr. Emeakayi, who supervised the demolition, warned property owners to thoroughly verify the identities and activities of their tenants before leasing out their properties, in order to avoid legal consequences.
