Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority, ECTDA, on Friday, demolished illegal shops, container makeshift stalls and other sorts of artisan blockades that converted Abakpa streets into a trading hub.
The area mostly affected was Amuri road that stretched from Texaco bus stop, leading to NOWAS junction.
The agency said that the second phase of the demolition will include clearing of all makeshift tables, containers and illegal extensions along major streets of Abakpa that have turn the well planned estate into a food market slum.
ECTDA had in the past given quit notices to illegal occupants constituting nuisance at different parts of the capital city such as in Abakpa, Emene, Uwani, Trans-Ekulu, Eke-Obinagu and some other places.
The agency had moved into New Market and sanitized the obstructions that had flown into the Enugu-onitsha road, same as it did at Eke-Obinagu on Thursday and has obtained court order to eject Kenyetta market traders from Uwani.
Responding on the reason for the Abakpa exercise, Chairman of ECTDA, Dr. Josef Onoh said: “Abakpa has become a slum and previous administrations in the state folded their arms and allowed the slum state to continue. The ugly situation has devalued properties in the area that residential houses and streets have now been converted into petty trading markets.
“In as much as we understand the Indigenous nature of the area, there is the Abakpa federal housing scheme and the indigenes have sold their birth rights that the whole place have now been converted to a market without adherence to the city plan or even a futuristic plan.
“A responsible government cannot continue to allow such degeneration where miscreants have taken advantage of the slum to create a high level of insecurity in Enugu, the capital territory.
“We should also note that during the EndSARS protest, Abakpa witnessed the most violent destruction because Abakpa habours most of the miscreants. So the demolition will continue until we sanitize Abakpa and free the streets that have now been converted to village markets.”
