……Arrests 20 prostitutes, male patrons, alleged drug abusers
By Ikeugonna Eleke
The Anambra State Government, last Sunday evening, demolished Airtight Guest House and Bar, an apartment that serves as a brothel, where a large cache of hard drugs were discovered the previous night.
Operatives of Agunechemba, a local security agency, had the previous night, Saturday, stormed the brothel, arresting its manager, storekeeper and barman, including 20 ladies suspected to be commercial sex workers and some male patrons.
The guest house which is located at Y-Junction, Okpuno, Awka South LGA, had been identified as a den of criminals and drug peddlers/users. The operatives who were led by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Community Security, Mr Ken Emeakayi, intercepted a large consignment of hard drugs from their store.
The Manager and store operator of the guest house confessed to dealing in hard drugs, besides letting out their apartments to prostitutes for use as a short time joint.
The Manager of the guest house, Mr. Paul Chibuike, also known as Mandela, who hails from Ezza South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, said he was only managing the business for his master who he identified as an Nnewi man.
He revealed that his master also owned another drug outlet in Awka’s red light district, Abakiliki Street, while also insisting that they monitored prostitutes to avoid bringing men to sleep over in the facility.
Some of the drugs found in the joint included: Tramadol, Indian hemp (commonly known as “cana”), nitrous oxide (popularly called “laughing gas”), Rohypnol, and several other hard drugs. A locally made single-barrel short gun was also found during the raid.
The Manager stated that the gun was abandoned by a guest who used the facility.
In a swift reaction, the Anambra State Government bulldozed the facility, citing the Anambra Homeland Security Law which empowers Government to take over any property used for kidnapping, drugs and other crimes.
Emeakayi, during the demolition, warned property owners to ensure they verified the identities and activities of their tenants before giving out their property to avoid being caught in the web.
