By Sunny A. David, Awka
Onitsha was thrown into chaos on Tuesday morning after operatives of the OCHA Brigade reportedly opened fire near the bustling Emeka Offor Plaza at Onitsha Main Market, leaving four people including a pregnant woman dead.
Eyewitnesses said the sudden gunfire caused panic as traders and passersby fled for safety, abandoning shops and goods in the process.
According to accounts from the scene, the victims were ordinary residents who had only gone out to earn a living when they were struck down by bullets allegedly fired by members of the enforcement outfit linked to the Anambra State Government under Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo.
The OCHA Brigade, often accused by locals of heavy handed tactics, has faced criticism for what many describe as routine acts of brutality carried out under the guise of enforcement.
“This is heartbreaking. Four innocent people have been wasted in broad daylight, including a pregnant woman. People now live in fear because government has handed guns and uniforms to thugs in the name of enforcement,” a visibly shaken trader lamented.
The motive behind the shooting remains unclear as of press time.
The incident has triggered outrage across the State, with critics accusing Governor Soludo of enabling a climate of fear by empowering violent groups to operate as State agents.
Neither the Anambra State Government nor the OCHA Brigade has issued an official statement regarding the killings at the time of filing this report.
