Armed men numbering about 20 on Tuesday afternoon allegedly invaded the private motor park of Goodness and Mercy Mass Transit Limited at Upper Iweka, Onitsha, Anambra State, assaulted the company’s chairman, Mr Uchenna Egboluche, and his personal assistant, beat up a female toilet operator and forcefully took her away before locking up the park’s toilet facility.
The armed men, who reportedly arrived in six unmarked vehicles and were allegedly acting on the authority of the Anambra State Ministry of Environment, were said to have stormed the park with dangerous weapons, including AK-47 rifles, sticks and axes.
The incident reportedly left the chairman, his personal assistant and some workers injured, while the female toilet operator, identified as Chikwe Ifeyinwa, was allegedly detained for about five hours before being released at approximately 9 p.m.
Our investigation revealed that when the chairman heard the noise in the premises, he rushed out to find out the problem, but instead of getting an explanation of what was happening, the armed men started beating him.
And when his PA attempted to ask the reason for their actions, eight of the armed men descended on him and roughed him up, thereby sustaining injuries.
The toilet cleaner, Chikwe Ifeyinwa, a mother of four children managing the toilet, narrated her ordeal in the hands of the gunmen who allegedly came from the Ministry of Environment.
According to her, they came to the toilet and said that they were from the Ministry of Environment.
“As I was trying to know why they came, all I was hearing were Iseke, Iseke,”
“They dragged me out, started beating me. As they were dragging me into their vehicle, my oga came and wanted to know what was the problem. As my oga was trying to find out the problem, they started beating him also. They tore my shirt and forcefully dragged me into their vehicle,” she said.
She said that they did not tell her anything about her offence before beating and dragging her.
“They came where I was working. They asked if I am the person working in the toilet, I said yes. They pounced on me, dragged me into their vehicle without telling me anything,” she added.
Ifeyinwa also stated that as they were dragging her, the N130,000 in her pocket got lost.
“They took the money, threw away my phone and somebody picked it up for me,” she said.
She said they took her to Head Bridge, stopped over at another park and picked two other persons.
“They took us to an office down the flyover there. It was not a police station. There is a place they have offices. That was where they kept me and they released me around 9pm. They picked me here around 4pm. There they asked me to produce papers that empower me to work in the toilet and I told them that they should ask my oga and not me. I am a mother of four children,” she added.
Narrating the ordeal in the hands of the gunmen, the General Manager of Goodness and Mercy Mass Transit Limited, Mr. Vincent Okwuoma, said their park is privately owned by Mr. Uchenna Egboluche and not government-owned.
According to him, at around after 4pm on Tuesday, some group of armed men with dangerous weapons went to the company’s toilet section and picked the woman managing it and beat her up, tore her clothes and took her to private detention camp till 9pm.
He said when the chairman of the company came out to find out what was happening, they started pushing and slapping him.
“When some workers wanted to intervene, they were beaten also. The armed men started cocking their guns,”
“There is nothing we could do because they were carrying sophisticated weapons like AK-47 guns, sticks, axes, and other dangerous weapons. We found out that one man called Iseke who led the attack said that the Anambra State Ministry of Environment had directed him to take over the toilet in their park, a private park, not a government park.
“You know, before the Ministry of Transport gives you approval to operate a park, they will give you a list of what you must provide, such as toilet, terminal and others. If all these are not there, they will not give approval,” he said.
According to him, when the chairman wanted to talk, they began to cock their guns, threatening him, and you cannot challenge any person with a gun.
He said that they did not give any paper of intention or information to the company about their mission and no reason was given for their action.
Also narrating his personal attack, Obi Akachukwu, a staff of the company, said they were in the field and suddenly some armed men in six vehicles stormed the park, with unmarked vehicles.
According to him, they came in and asked somebody where the company toilet was and they went straight to the toilet and beat up the lady there and took her away.
“When they were taking her away, our director came out and asked them about what was the problem. Instead of explaining, they started pushing and beating him. When they pushed him, as his PA, I asked what they were doing. They pounced on me with a big stick and the one identified as Iseke gave the order that they should beat everybody in the park. Then they started beating everybody mercilessly and some ran away,” he said.
In a letter dated 14th October 2026, obtained by our reporter, signed by the Anambra State Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Clem Aguyi, titled “To Whom It May Concern, Notification Of Revocation Of Management Of Public Toilet Facilities,” the ministry announced the revocation of 11 company’s toilets.
In the statement, it listed 11 park toilets that have been revoked, which includes Goodness and Mercy Mass Transit Limited Park, Upper Iweka. Most are toilets in private parks in Onitsha.
It reads that notice is hereby given of the immediate revocation of the management of the following public toilets: Ogbunike Tollgate Toilet, Nwaagu Park, Port Harcourt Road Toilet, Obodoukwu Road Toilet, Ochanja Market Toilet, Head Bridge, Asaba Park Toilet, Garden Toilet, Upper Iweka, Ose Market Toilet, Main Market Toilet (Young Shall Grow Park), Upper Iweka Goodness and Mercy Mass Transit Limited, Terminal Park, Upper Iweka, and Obosi Park, Owerri Road.
It said that this revocation takes immediate effect.
It further added that to avoid disruption of service and to ensure public sanitation, hygiene and public health safety, Messrs. Callidimma Venture Nigeria Limited is hereby provisionally appointed to recover and oversee the management of the affected facilities pending the constitution of a new structure.
It further said that all affected persons or companies are by this directive required to hand over the facilities and all government properties in their custody forthwith.
Also in another letter obtained, addressed to the Managing Director, Messrs. Callidimma Venture Limited, No. 6 Ikenga Street, Umuanyanwu Layout, Ozo Iseke, Anambra State, titled “Letter Of Approval For The Management Of Administration, And Maintenance Of Public Toilets In Anambra State,” signed by the Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Clem Aguyi, the Anambra State Ministry of Environment said it wishes to refer to your proposal dated 6th October 2026 on the above subject and to convey the approval of the ministry for the engagement of Messrs Callidimma Venture Nigeria Limited as facility manager for public toilets in Anambra State.
According to the letter, this approval is granted after due consideration and review of your company’s antecedent, capacity and undertaking to ensure operational efficiency in line with the policy directive of the ministry.
It added that the scope of engagement shall, among others, include management, administration, cleaning, maintenance, staffing and monitoring of all existing public toilets owned by Anambra State Government under the purview of the Ministry of Environment.
It urged the company to establish new public toilet facilities where required and approved by the ministry to meet public sanitation needs.
It further directed that the company shall operate transparently and ensure that government does not suffer any revenue loss.
It also directed that all Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) accruing from the facilities shall be paid directly and in full into the Anambra State Internal Revenue Service (AiRS) consolidated account, with evidence of payment submitted to the ministry.
It also directed that the company shall submit a monthly report of activities, revenue, maintenance records and challenges to the ministry not later than the 5th day of the succeeding month.
However, the letter said public toilets owned by Anambra State Government and not private toilets in Anambra State, and no reason was given for the said revocation the letters.
A lawyer, Mike Udeagha, said that the government can supervise the operation of both public and private parks but cannot take ownership and operation of private park toilets in the state.
According to him, the private toilet belongs to the owner of the private park and not the government, and the government cannot send anybody to take over what does not belong to it to manage.
He further said that even in the letter of revocation and appointment, stated public toilets owned by Anambra State Government and not private toilet parks in Anambra State.
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