OCHA Brigade Demolishes Illegal Structures In Anambra Market

The Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra (OCHA) Brigade has carried out an enforcement exercise around Mgbuka Obosi Market in Idemili North local government area of Anambra State, demolishing shanties and illegal structures erected beneath high-tension power cables.

The exercise was aimed at sanitising the area and curbing the unsafe and unlawful practice of trading or building within restricted electricity corridors, which authorities said posed serious risks to lives and public infrastructure.

Speaking during the operation on Monday, the Managing Director of the OCHA Brigade, Celestine Anere, said the agency was acting within its mandate to protect residents and prevent avoidable disasters.

Anere warned that structures located under high-tension lines endanger both occupants and the wider public, stressing that anyone who flouts government directives would be treated as a lawbreaker.

He said defaulters would be prosecuted and made to bear the cost of demolition, including expenses incurred for labour and equipment used during enforcement.

According to him, the exercise was not targeted at any individual or group but was carried out in the interest of public safety and environmental order across the state.

Anere noted that the Anambra State Government had repeatedly warned traders and developers against operating or erecting makeshift structures in prohibited areas, adding that the ongoing enforcement should serve as a reminder of the government’s resolve.

He urged residents to comply with environmental and safety regulations in their own interest and that of the community.

Meanwhile, PUNCH Online had earlier reported that the state government had commenced full enforcement of environmental laws, with fines ranging from ₦20,000 to ₦5 million, depending on the offence and whether the offender is an individual or a corporate organisation.