A wave of outrage swept through Ifejike Street near Biafra Market in Onitsha South Local Government Area of Anambra State on Thursday, following the alleged killing of a 12-year-old boy by a member of the state-backed security outfit, ‘Udo Ga-Achi’.
According to eyewitnesses, the boy, whose identity had yet to be confirmed as of press time, was sitting on a culvert near the Nwangene Drainage—reportedly on his way to use a nearby toilet—when he was allegedly shot dead by an operative attached to the Onitsha South Local Government.
Witnesses said the officer, upon realizing the boy was lifeless and lying in a pool of blood, attempted to flee the scene along with colleagues in a pickup truck.
However, a crowd of enraged traders and local vigilante members quickly blocked their escape.
The mob insisted that the operatives take full responsibility and carry the boy’s body with them.
Outnumbered and surrounded, the Udo Ga-Achi team complied and transported the body in their vehicle, which bore the operation number ANSG 0060.
One vigilante member, who identified himself as Nwadibia, said:
“If they hadn’t been forced to take the boy’s body, the blame might have wrongly fallen on us.”
Eyewitnesses also alleged that operatives of the security outfit have a history of such incidents, often denying responsibility. One trader remarked, “This killing was entirely unjustified. The boy had done nothing wrong.
If the officers truly believed he posed a threat, they should have interrogated him. Instead, they shot him while he was relieving himself—no warning, no justification.”
A video shared widely on social media shows two operatives loading the child’s body into the truck.
The scene sparked further anger online, with many users calling for an immediate investigation.
Magnus Okoli, a trader in the market, condemned the act, describing it as “senseless and barbaric.” He added, “This wasn’t an accidental discharge. It was deliberate.
The distance between the truck and where the boy was shows it was a targeted shot.”
Efforts to get a response from the Anambra State Police Command were unsuccessful.
Calls to the command’s spokesperson, DSP Ikenga Tochukwu, went unanswered.
A visit to the Fegge Police Station also proved unproductive, as the Divisional Police Officer was not available at the time.
The incident has heightened tensions in the area, with residents and traders demanding accountability and swift justice.