By Chimaobi Nwaiwu

It was lamentation by victims as the Anambra State Government, Monday demolished houses and stores of Sand miners and traders doing businesses along Niger Street by bank of the River Niger, Onitsha, Anambra State.

The exercise which started on Sunday, and supervised by the Onitsha South Local Government Chairman, Mr Emeka Orji, continued on Monday with the council boss doing the supervision.

One of the victims of Monday demolition, Lucky Okoye while speaking with Vanguard said that over 20 houses, housing River Craft Machines numbering about 40 were affected and each River Craft Machine is employing between 18 to 25 workers who are now displaced.

A trader Mrs Agnes Ezeh, who lost some of her commodities in her destroyed shop said that over 60 shops belong to petty traders were also destroyed in Monday demolition. Sand beaches were not left out as they were levelled in the demolition exercise, making the number of displaced people about 760, apart from 250 people displaced in Sunday demolition.

The affected victims of Monday demolition were Uche Okafor Sand Beach, Beneath Ozoemena Sand Beach, Chidi Iheme, Alhaji Danladi and Sumo, Alhaji Salusi Nnaemeka Sand Beach, Obidi Ibeanu and Daniel Eze Beaches.

The named beach owners were mostly tenants of Lake Petroleum Limited, the owner of the houses and shops they were occupying. Each of the Sand beaches with River Craft Machine.

Other companies affected in Monday demolition are Amaonye and Okigbo Braches with not less than 80 workers, while over 30 shop owners in the area were displaced with the demolition.