Traders in parts of Anambra State have been left counting their losses after the state government commenced the demolition of structures described as illegal and unauthorised.
The enforcement exercise, which began on Friday, September 18, targeted shops and buildings allegedly erected on sidewalks, access roads, open public spaces and areas previously designated for motor parks.
Officials of the Anambra State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, accompanied by security personnel, deployed bulldozers to areas including Nawfia, Abagana and Onitsha.
At Afor Market in Nawfia and Oye Agu Market in Abagana, several structures were pulled down. The exercise was later extended to Odoakpu in Onitsha, where authorities said a three-storey building had allegedly been constructed on an access road without the required setback.
A structure reportedly intended as a security house at Trans Nkisi Layout was also demolished after authorities said it obstructed access to nearby residential buildings.
The ministry’s Head of Development Control, Ngozi Okwudili, said the affected developers had received repeated notices before the demolition exercise.
According to her, one of the structures at Afor Market was removed because its building plan failed to provide the required parking space, while a plaza at Oye Agu Market was allegedly constructed without the necessary approval.
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Okwudili advised residents and prospective developers to obtain the appropriate building approvals before commencing construction, warning that the enforcement exercise would continue across the state.
However, some traders affected by the demolition expressed deep concern over their financial losses.
One trader at Oye Agu Market, Nneka Chidumeme, said she had only rented her shop on August 28 and had invested her savings, alongside borrowed funds from friends, relatives and cooperative groups, into the business.
Another trader, Gloria Nwafor of Afor Market, said she relied on her small business to support her family following the death of her husband.
The affected traders appealed to the state government to consider assisting them, particularly because of the financial hardship caused by the demolitions.
The Anambra State Government has maintained that the enforcement will continue, urging property owners and developers to comply with physical planning laws to avoid losing their investments.
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