By Phil Okose, Onitsha

Angry commercial sex workers reputed to operate from make-shift structures at Umumpama Aboji village, Oba, Idemili South local government area, Anambra state, were seen, last Monday raining curses on the Anambra state government and its task force on demolition of illegal structures for allegedly demolishing their structures.

The taskforce, which reportedly stormed the area with bulldozers for the demolition of the shanties located from Oba/Nnewi new road junction up to Oba International Market along the Onitsha/Owerri Expressway in Oba, faced a backlash from the sex workers and their customers, mostly commercial drivers.

One of the sex workers who claimed to have come from Imo state and simply identified as ‘smallie’ hinted that she had been in her demolished structure for seven years and cursed the taskforce team saying, “your house will also be demolished like mine and your children rendered homeless.

She claimed to have personally built the hut she occupied and wondered what she and her customers would do after the demolition.

Also reacting, another sex worker who did not want her name in print urged the government to repair the demolished structures so as to help reduce unemployment and crime.

According to her, “we are not unemployed but government wants to send us to the labour market. They will lose because there will be increase in crime. Again rape cases will increase; married women are not safe even if some of them are with us here.”

A driver who said he plied the road on daily basis accused the taskforce of worsening the problem of the people instead of assisting adding, “I relax here after the day’s work but now I have to look for an alternative place”.

Contacted, the President General of Aboji Akanano village, Chief Dozie Nweke, stated that, “the demolition is one of the good things that have happened to this community. Since the ban on motorcycles the crime and criminality increased in our place and this is their hideout. The sex workers that include married women from nearby states come here and hide as sex workers.

“I thank the state governor, Willie Obiano and the taskforce; but let the governor build a permanent structure for butter business. Criminals used this place as safe haven after committing atrocities in Onitsha. They use the sex workers as shield and pay them a lot of money.