Operatives of Anambra paramilitary agency shoot pregnant woman dead, injure three others
Operatives of Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra, also known as OCHA Brigade, a paramilitary agency in Anambra State, have allegedly shot dead a pregnant woman and three others.
Sources said the shooting may have resulted from an accidental discharge by an operative attached to the agency while enforcing a ban on street trading in Onitsha.
The incident reportedly occurred on Tuesday morning near the popular Onitsha Main Market, at Emeka Offor Plaza along New Market Road.
While the pregnant woman is said to have died instantly, the status of the other four victims involved was initially unclear, with some witnesses saying they had been rushed to hospital for treatment.
Eyewitnesses said the incident sparked panic and outrage among traders and residents, who fled the scene for safety.
One source said: “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.”
It was gathered that the shooting occurred during enforcement of the ban on roadside trading, a routine activity carried out by the agency in markets across the state.
Police authorities in Anambra confirmed the incident but insisted that only one woman died, while four others were wounded and taken to hospital for treatment.
State police command spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, told DAILY POST: “Yes, the incident happened, and once we heard of it, the police commissioner, CP Ikioye Orutugu, promptly despatched operatives led by the Assistant Police Commissioner in charge of operations to restore calm in the area.
“As I speak to you, calm has been restored in the market, while one woman was confirmed dead. Four other persons involved in the incident have been taken to hospital.”
On the cause of the shooting, Ikenga said it began as an altercation between traders and operatives during an enforcement exercise, and later escalated into sporadic gunfire.
Operatives of Anambra paramilitary agency shoot pregnant woman dead, injure three others
