As part of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly’s (AMA) ongoing decongestion exercise, a shocking discovery was made near the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, an area infamously referred to by locals as “Lucifer Village.”

The site, hidden in plain sight, harbours a network of illegal structures including makeshift brothels, bars and eateries — all constructed over a large drain.

Environmental Health Officer Joseph Asitanga, who is leading the operation on behalf of the AMA, described the location as a public health and safety nightmare.

During an interaction with the press, Asitanga revealed that the structures were not only unauthorised but also posed a serious risk to both residents and visitors.

“These structures are built directly on top of a major gutter. There are pubs, brothels and other operations happening here — completely unregulated and extremely dangerous,” he stated.

According to Asitanga, preliminary surveys conducted by the Assembly suggest that a significant number of occupants operating within Lucifer Village are foreign nationals, including Nigerians and Togolese, many of whom may not possess the required permits to operate businesses in Ghana.

He noted that in addition to sanitation concerns, the area has become a hotspot for immoral and criminal activities, further justifying its place on AMA’s decongestion radar.

The AMA has served notice that these structures will be pulled down in the coming days as part of a broader effort to reclaim public spaces, clean up the city, and prevent unlawful occupation of critical infrastructure such as drainage systems.

As the decongestion exercise continues, AMA maintains that it will not relent in restoring Accra to a cleaner, safer, and more orderly cityscape.