Anambra State Government has demolished the Airtight Guest House and Bar, located around Y-Junction, Okpuno, Awka South Local Government Area, for being used for unlawful activities, including the large sale of illicit drugs, firearms, and prostitution.
The demolition followed the raid of the place on Saturday night by operatives of the state-owned security outfit, Agunaechemba, and the discovery of a large consignment of different kinds of illicit drugs, a gun, as well as the presence of prostitutes who use the place for lodging and suspected criminal activities.
Recall that section 16 of the Anambra State Homeland Security Land passed into law in January 2025 stipulates that no property in the state shall be used for the manufacture, use, or sale of illicit drugs.
It went further to state that any property used for the manufacture, use, and sale of illicit drugs in the state shall be forfeited to the state government.
The law further impresses on owners of property the responsibility to ensure that their tenants do not engage in criminal activities, illegal possession of firearms, among other crimes.
Following the raid of the facility, a large consignment of drugs discovered in the place were displayed while the arrested workers in the place, including the Manager, Mr. Paul Chibuike, alias ‘Mandela’, the Supvisor, Mr. Thaddeus Tsakuku alias ‘believe’ and the bar attendant and store keeper, Mr. Victor Okonkwo were paraded, they earlier revealed that the place was indeed used for illegal activities.
Among the drugs recovered in the building were Tramadol, Codeine, a brand of Indian hemp popularly known as Cana, ‘Laughing Gas’, Rohypnol and many other illicit drugs.
Also, a locally made single-barreled short gun was discovered in the building.
The Manager of the place, Mr. Paul Chibuike from Ezza South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, explained that the confiscated drugs were sold to members of the public, who come to patronise the lodge, while alleging that the gun discovered in the place was left by a guest.
Mr. Chibuike revealed that about 20 prostitutes and 18 men were arrested on the spot when Agunaechemba Security burst the place while denying that any of the girls were forced into prostitution, but that they were mostly students from different institutions who use the place to lodge with men on weekends.
The second suspect, Mr. Thaddeus Tsakuku from Makurdi, Benue State, revealed that he is in charge of girls who lodge at the place, making sure they keep to rules and regulations of the place, especially the fact that they are not allowed to lodge with men till day-break but only for a short-time basis with clients, as one of the rooms is used to warehouse the drugs before selling them.
A third suspect, Mr. Victor Okonkwo from Oraukwu, Idemili North Council Area, noted that he is a bar attendant and a storekeeper at the place, alluding to being aware that the place was used for illicit drug sales and other unwholesome practices.
The suspects also mentioned another location within Abakaliki Street, Awka, which serves as an extension for the sale of illicit drugs.
The destruction was led by the Special Adviser to Governor Chukwuma Soludo on Community Security, Mr. Ken Emeakayi, who explained that activities going on in the building run foul of the Anambra State homeland security law, which was why the government demolished the building, adding that the land will now be forfeited to the state government.
He warned landlords and landowners to always inspect their structures to know what they are being used for and what the tenants do.
“The intelligence gathered from members of the public revealed that the place was a den for criminals and the raid by Agunaechemba security personnel revealed much more, especially the discovery of different kinds of hard drugs in quantities, a gun, and men and women who use the place as a hiding place for perceived criminal activities.
“All those arrested will be handed over to the police for further investigation and possible prosecution,” he concluded.
