The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the Amenfi West in the Western Region, Lord Nana Tandoh, on Monday led a taskforce comprising Police, Immigration Service, National Security, and Fire Service staff to demolish dozens of structures being used as brothels by commercial sex workers in the Municipality.
The structures, made mainly of plywood and bamboo, were situated in the heart of Asankragwa, Aboi Nkwanta and Wassa Dunkwa where the commercial sex workers, who are mainly Nigerians, practice their business.
Unaware the taskforce had scheduled that day for the demolition exercise the commercial sex workers had no other choice than to take to their heels in order to escape arrest.
The taskforce, nevertheless, forced open their shacks, took out the items in them, and razed down the structures.
Items such as refrigerators, television sets, gas cylinders, cooking utensils, and condoms, including amulets, were found during the exercise.
It is believed that the Nigerian commercial sex workers had invaded the areas to practice their illicit business in the open, because of the booming mining business in the Municipality. Consequently, the Municipal Security Council (MUSEC), at its last meeting, resolved to demolish the structures housing them.
Speaking to The Chronicle in a telephone interview, MCE Lord Nana Tandoh said the exercise was intended to get rid of the commercial sex workers who had invaded the area.
He said though none of the Nigerians behind the business were arrested, the exercise would not be a nine-day wonder, and that the taskforce would continue to clamp down on them should they throw caution to the wind and return.
“We could not arrest any of the Nigerians behind the illicit business, because they took to their heels when they heard we were coming after them. But one thing was certain, we destroyed and razed to the ground their plywood made structures.”
The MCE was surprised at how the sex workers were able to acquire the land to put up their temporary structures for their illicit trade.
He said the MUSEC had identified and asked the land owners who gave out lands to them and warned them (land owners) never to allow the sex workers to return to the places.
These land owners have also been invited to come and explain why they gave out the lands in the first place for such illegal activities to go on in the town.
He warned that the MUSEC would not hesitate to arrest the land owners should they fail to honour its invitation.
MCE Lord Nana Tandoh told this reporter that the activities of the Nigerian sex workers were worrying and that they were a threat to our national security.
