{"id":95032,"date":"2025-09-10T10:15:51","date_gmt":"2025-09-10T10:15:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/?p=95032"},"modified":"2025-09-10T10:16:25","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T10:16:25","slug":"95032","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/?p=95032","title":{"rendered":"ONITSHA MARKET KILLINGS: Soludo orders arrest, Police confirm fatal shooting of trader, call for calm"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Chuks Moses<\/strong> | Awka | September 9, 2025<\/p>\n

After a disquieting silence for hours, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, the governor of Anambra State, has waded into the tension between traders and operatives of Operation Clean And Healthy Anambra Brigade, otherwise known as \u201cOCHA Brigade\u201d by ordering the arrest of operatives of the brigade who were behind the shooting and killing of a pregnant woman near Emeka Offor Plaza, Onitsha Main Market on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

In a statement, the Commissioner for Information, Law Mefor, said the governor directed that those behind the crime be handed over to the police for prosecution.<\/p>\n

The statement read in part, \u201cWe appreciate the swift intervention of the Police, who have restored calm and order to the area. An investigation into the incident has commenced, and the government will ensure that all necessary measures are taken to prevent similar occurrences in the future.<\/p>\n

\u201cRegrettably, one of the victims, Miss Chinwe Igwe, was confirmed dead on arrival. Her body has been deposited at the hospital morgue for autopsy and preservation. The other victims are currently receiving treatment and are responding positively.<\/p>\n

\u201cMeanwhile, Mr Governor has directed that the suspects be arrested and handed over to the police for prosecution and for the medical needs of those who sustained injuries to be taken care of.<\/p>\n

However, tension remained high across Anambra State following the fatal shooting and the injury of several others during the violent clash between operatives of Ocha Brigade, and traders at the bustling\u00a0Onitsha Main Market.<\/p>\n

Eyewitnesses reported that the incident occurred around 7:00 am as traders were setting up their wares for the day\u2019s business. Operatives of the Ocha Brigade reportedly stormed the area, demanding traders vacate certain spaces, which led to a heated confrontation. In the ensuing chaos, operatives allegedly fired live rounds, resulting in multiple injuries and at least one death.<\/p>\n

Among the victims was\u00a0Miss Chinwe Igwe, a 22-year-old pregnant woman, who was confirmed dead on arrival at a local hospital. Six others\u2014Ebuka Orakwe,\u00a0Orum Oluebube,\u00a0Anthony Kosisochukwu,\u00a0Ifeoma Ezema, and two yet-to-be-identified individuals\u2014sustained varying degrees of gunshot wounds and are currently receiving treatment.<\/p>\n

In a statement issued by Police Public Relations Officer,\u00a0DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, the command described the clash as \u201ca violent altercation between Ocha Brigade personnel and traders.\u201d He confirmed that officers responded swiftly to distress calls and successfully restored order in the area.<\/p>\n

According to the statement, Commissioner of Police,\u00a0CP Ikioye Orutugu, deployed tactical teams, including the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), Area Commander of Onitsha, and commanders from the Anti-Cultism and Main Market Divisions to contain the situation.<\/p>\n

Police have since launched an investigation into the incident and have invited the leadership of Ocha Brigade to assist in identifying those involved for possible prosecution. \u201cWe are committed to ensuring justice for the victims while maintaining public order,\u201d the statement read.<\/p>\n

Public Outrage Mounts<\/p>\n

The incident has sparked widespread condemnation of Ocha Brigade and other state-backed security outfits, including the\u00a0Anambra State Anti-Cult Touting Squad Agency (SASA),\u00a0 Agunechemba,\u00a0 ASTA,\u00a0 ASMA, and the controversial\u00a0Udo Ga-Achi\u00a0group. These agencies have long faced accusations of brutality, extortion, and unlawful killings.<\/p>\n

Residents have accused the government of enabling violence through the creation of \u201cmilitia-style\u201d task forces under the guise of law enforcement. A visibly shaken trader at the scene, who gave her name as\u00a0Chinwendu, lamented:<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is heartbreaking. Four innocent people, including a pregnant woman, were gunned this morning. These so-called enforcement agents are nothing but government-licensed criminals.\u201d<\/p>\n

The situation has rekindled anger over the use of force during the\u00a0August 16 bye-elections, where members of Udo Ga-Achi allegedly detained 18 journalists, threatening them with violence while claiming to be working under government orders.<\/p>\n

Political analyst and filmmaker\u00a0Adim Williams\u00a0strongly condemned the killings, linking the crisis to alleged poor leadership:
\n\u201cSince Soludo took office, security in Anambra has worsened\u2014not because of criminals, but because of the government itself. These killers wear state uniforms, carry guns, and answer to no one. How do you justify arming untrained individuals to patrol our markets and streets?\u201d<\/p>\n

Williams further accused the governor of appointing ex-convicts and political thugs into enforcement units, blaming Soludo for turning Anambra into \u201ca state ruled by fear.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also recalled a recent incident where female youth corps members were allegedly assaulted by state agents, warning that such abuses are eroding the hospitality Anambra people are known for.<\/p>\n

Opposition Calls for Leadership Change<\/p>\n

Opposition parties have used the incident to renew calls for a change in leadership. One such voice is that of\u00a0Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, a prominent businessman and gubernatorial hopeful, whose team called for the \u201crescue\u201d of Anambra from \u201ctyrannical governance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened today is not an accident; it\u2019s the outcome of empowering the wrong people. Soludo\u2019s government has become synonymous with fear, violence, and lawlessness. Anambra deserves better,\u201d a campaign spokesperson stated.<\/p>\n

As outrage grows, pressure is mounting on the state government to disband these controversial task forces and initiate an independent probe into the killings. Civil rights groups are also calling on the\u00a0Federal Government\u00a0and the\u00a0National Human Rights Commission\u00a0to intervene immediately.<\/p>\n

Police Assure Continued Monitoring<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the police have assured residents of sustained patrols across major markets and public spaces to prevent a breakdown of law and order. \u201cWe urge members of the public to remain calm and cooperate with ongoing investigations,\u201d said DSP Ikenga.<\/p>\n

But for the people of Onitsha and the broader Anambra public, the events of September 9 will not be easily forgotten\u2014especially as questions about accountability, governance, and the sanctity of human life continue to dominate public discourse.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Chuks Moses | Awka | September 9, 2025 After a disquieting silence for hours, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, the governor of Anambra State, has waded into the tension between traders and operatives of Operation Clean And Healthy Anambra Brigade, otherwise known as \u201cOCHA Brigade\u201d by ordering the arrest of operatives of the brigade who were […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":64060,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5807,7],"tags":[7299,66,3162],"class_list":["post-95032","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-crime-and-violence","category-news","tag-ocha","tag-onitsha","tag-soludo"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95032","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=95032"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95032\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/64060"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=95032"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=95032"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=95032"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}