The Ugwuoba Cattle Market in Enugu State has emerged as a pressing security challenge that requires urgent attention from the administration of Governor Peter Mbah, as highlighted by Chidubem Okolie.

When the Ugwuoba Cattle Market was opened many years ago, the altruistic purpose was never in doubt – to provide a platform for citizens in and around Enugu and Anambra States and livestock dealers to meet their food and business needs.

Unfortunately, indigenes of Amansi, Awka, in Anambra State and Ugwuoba, who spoke to our correspondent, now see the place as a modern Sodom and Gomora, given the criminality, illicit drugs, prostitution, and other vices that now thrive at the market and its environs.

Surprisingly, whereas the holy book, in John 3:20, says, “everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed,” the evildoers of Ugwuoba are not afraid of the light. Go to those shanties in the suburbs of the market at any time of the day and you are sure to buy illicit drugs such as methamphetamine (‘Mkpuru mmiri’) and cannabis also find other like minds consuming their illicit stocks with reckless abandon; and for as little as a few wads of hundred naira notes, you could buy sex at every corner of the market’s vicinity.

But Ugwuoba Cattle Market, also known as Garki, and its environ have not always been like that. Vice Chairman of the market and an indigene, who represents the Amachala family, owners of the land on which the market was sited, Mr. Shedrach Ezeani, highlighted some of the factors fanning the embers of criminality in the area.

His words: “I represent the Amachala family, owners of this place, in the Gariki executives. We are here working together with the executives and the market authorities.

“Government should come in because the Gariki Market does not have the capacity to do this. If you ask anybody, he will tell you that this is my father’s portion of land. Those shanties and unregulated lodges are not doing good for this place. People hide there in the name of Gariki and do all sorts of things. They invite lodgers from unknown destinations. Criminals will join them to lodge. That is the problem we are having. The government has to take action and control them.”

His perspective is not any different from that of the Chairman of the market, Abubakar Yusuf Sadiq, who also traced the criminality in the area to illicit drugs and prostitution. The other is caused by locals, who indiscriminately sell or lease lands to unknown person to build lodges and shanties where these criminals hibernate.

”Actually, in the last two months alone, we have had issues of people fighting and stabbing each other to death under the influence of drugs. Most of these people are taking ‘Mkpuru mmuri’. After taking the substance, they ended up fighting. Unfortunately one of them died.

“Each time we complain to them, they tell us that it is their land and that we cannot tell them what to do with their land. But in the eye of the government, everywhere here is Gariki,” he narrated.

Findings show that some criminals who escaped from the onslaught by the current administration in Enugu State find the Ugwuoba Garki as safe havens. It was also informed that the area serves as the first bus stop of cross-boundary criminals recruited for the kidnap enterprise before they now link up with those who ordered them for deployment.

A security operative said: “If you cannot credit the present Enugu State governor with any other thing, you must give him credit for the way he has waged war against crime and criminality. I can authoritatively say that a whole lot has been done in ridding the state of criminals and kidnappers. If you were privileged to see the security advisory by Total Energies to its workers earlier this February, you would notice that Enugu State is the only South East state that is not highlighted in red on that map. This goes to confirm what the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, recently said about improved security in Enugu State.

“But I must admit that this is work in progress and I agree that places like this Garki, which serve as their rendezvous deserve our attention. We have made the necessary recommendation to the government and I believe the government is working things out. And on our part, we have our eyes on the place.”

Regina Madu, an indigene of Ugwuoba, described the market as Sodom and Gomora.

“The cattle market and its environ have become a kind of modern Sodom and Gomora. Is it the sell and use of drugs? Is it the prostitution? Is this place meant to be launch pads and hideout by criminals? Or is it the prostitution? Many mothers like me are praying for the government to come and clear this place and build it into a modern market and also regulate it better.  It cannot be allowed to continue in its present form,” she stated.

Like Mrs. Madu, other residents believe that the market cannot continue to exist in its present form. They argue that Governor Peter Mbah cannot comprehensively tackle crime in the state without restoring sanity in the market and its environ. But will government take action? Only time will tell.