The Cross River State security outfit, Operation Akpakwu, at the weekend in Calabar destroyed a bungalow located at Ekorinim 1 and owned by a suspected kidnapper.
It also demolished a storey building allegedly used by its owner as a brothel where under-aged girls engaged in prostitution.
The brothel is located off Odukpani Road, opposite Flour Mill.
“The bungalow that was demolished belonged to an individual who had been caught in the act of kidnapping in the state, while the brothel was demolished for housing underage girls for prostitution and other illegal activities.
“This is a warning signal to everybody. Whosoever is involved in a crime of any form should desist from it,” said Mr. Henry Okokon, state security adviser, southern senatorial district to the governor, Prof. Ben Ayade.
He said the demolition was one of the ways of chasing criminals out of the state.
According to him, the state government places a premium on the security of lives and property in the state, hence the need to fight all forms of criminality in the state.
“This is part of the activities of Operation Akpakwu, a special force set up by Governor Ayade to fight crime in the state, especially kidnapping.
“This demolition exercise is ongoing. The governor has warned that anyone who is involved in any form of criminality, or any landlord who is found harbouring any criminal should desist from it,” he said.
Okokon urged business owners in the state to go about their normal businesses, adding that the state government was doing its best to protect them from criminals.
Meanwhile, the wife of the owner of the brothel identified as Ijeoma alleged that her husband paid about N1 million to security personnel who promised to spare the building from demolition.
According to Punch, she wondered why the officials knew they were going to destroy the building, yet they fleeced her husband of the money which, according to her would have been used for the upkeep of their five children.
Security officials who monitored the exercise promised to investigate and take action against those who allegedly went behind to collect money from the owner of the property.
