The Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra (OCHA Brigade) has carried out a coordinated demolition and environmental enforcement exercise along the Upper Iweka and Uwangbede axis of the Onitsha-Owerri Road in the commercial city of Onitsha.
During the operation on Monday, the agency demolished several shanties and illegal structures obstructing drainage channels and hindering the free flow of traffic.
The exercise was aimed at sanitising the area and discouraging residents, traders and developers from continuing the dangerous and unlawful practice of building or operating businesses within restricted corridors.
Speaking during the exercise, the Managing Director of the OCHA Brigade, Celestine Anere, said the action was part of the agency’s responsibility to protect lives and public infrastructure.
“Structures that pose serious safety risks to occupants and the general public and all unauthorised structures were dismantled and removed, while street traders occupying roadways and pedestrian walkways were cleared to restore free movement for motorists and pedestrians. Government gardens and public spaces that had been encroached upon were recovered and sealed to prevent further illegal occupation and land grabbing. The exercise was carried out peacefully and in line with the state government’s directive to sanitise and modernise the commercial city,” Anere stated.
He warned individuals and groups involved in illegal construction, roadside trading, and encroachment on government land that such activities undermine public safety, obstruct traffic, and damage the environment.
The agency noted that at the end of the operation, the affected areas recorded noticeable environmental improvement, better accessibility, and a more organised urban outlook.
