Scene of the chaos
By Emeka Okechukwu
The operatives of the Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra (Ocha Brigade) have allegedly killed a pregnant woman opened fire during a confrontation with traders, leaving at least four people dead, including a pregnant woman.
The incident reportedly occurred along Bright Street, opposite First Bank, when the enforcement team stormed the busy market to confiscate goods displayed by traders.
According to witnesses’ account, resistance by the traders quickly degenerated into chaos. Some traders attempted to prevent the task force from seizing their wares, prompting a violent response from the operatives.
“Happening now at Main Market Onitsha. Ocha Brigade came as usual to pack people’s goods but the owners refused to allow them, and the whole thing quickly escalated into a very ugly scene when one of the operatives started shooting directly at people at close range. According to the latest reports, two people among those shot are already dead,” an eyewitness wrote on Facebook.
Further reports later suggested the death toll had risen to four, with several others sustaining varying degrees of gunshot injuries.
The shooting sparked widespread panic across the market, one of West Africa’s largest commercial hubs. Shops were hurriedly shut as traders and customers fled for safety, while families of victims rushed to nearby hospitals.
The presence of security operatives was later reinforced to forestall further escalation, though tension remained high around the market environment.
As of press time, authorities of the Ocha Brigade and the Anambra State Government were yet to issue an official statement regarding the reported killings.
