Tension and outrage gripped the city of Onitsha on Tuesday morning following reports that operatives of the Anambra State government-backed OCHA Brigade allegedly opened fire in the bustling Emeka Offor Plaza axis of Onitsha Main Market.
The incident reportedly claimed the lives of four people, including a pregnant woman.
Eyewitnesses at the scene described a terrifying atmosphere as panic swept through the area.
Traders and residents were seen fleeing in all directions amid the sounds of gunfire.
“This is heartbreaking. Four innocent people who left their homes this morning have been cut down in cold blood. Among them is a pregnant woman.”
“Anambra people are now living in fear because criminals have been handed guns and uniforms in the name of government enforcement,” a visibly distraught trader told reporters.
The exact reason for the shootings remains unclear as of press time, and efforts to ascertain what prompted the violence have so far yielded no official explanations.
According to multiple accounts, the victims were ordinary citizens who had set out for their daily business.
Allegedly, they were caught in a wave of gunfire unleashed by heavily armed members of the OCHA Brigade, a team often associated with state enforcement activities under the administration of Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo.
The group has faced growing criticism over the years for its alleged involvement in harassment, brutality and excessive use of force in the guise of enforcing market regulations and environmental laws.
Tuesday’s incident has reignited those concerns.
“Anambra people are now living in fear because criminals have been handed guns and uniforms in the name of government enforcement,” the same trader added, visibly shaken by the event.
At the time of filing this report, neither the Anambra State Government nor the OCHA Brigade has issued an official statement regarding the incident or the deaths reported.
