By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
There was pandemonium late Friday at the Science Equipment Market, Onitsha Bridgehead in Anambra as operatives of the Anambra State Anti-Touting Squad allegedly shot one person dead and injured several others.
It was gathered that trouble started at the market when the operatives invaded the area in search of someone who was said to have urinated in a restricted area and ran into the market for cover.
Eyewitnesses said the operatives shot indiscriminately for over two hours while in the market resulting in the traders scampering to safety, leading to destruction and looting of people’s goods.
When the scene was visited on Saturday, one of the traders who simply identified himself as Okonkwo said, “Yesterday, was a black Friday in this market, the operatives killed a man simply because he urinated along the Onitsha-Asaba Expressway.
“After urinating, the boy ran into the market as the operatives chased him. When they entered the market, they started shooting. This caused pandemonium in the market as many sellers and buyers in the market sustained severe injuries while scampering to safety.
Stray bullets hit two people who were rushed to the hospital after they had left. The victims sell drugs at Ogboogwu market. People’s goods were also destroyed and looted. They sealed our toilets and started collecting money from anyone they saw who urinated outside. This is the cause of the problem.”
When contacted, the Anambra State Police Command’s spokesman, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident, adding that the state Commissioner of Police, Aderemi Adeoye, has ordered a probe into the development.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Adeoye has ordered the immediate transfer of a reported murder incident that happened at the head bridge market by 4:30 pm, on Friday.
“Our officers led by the DPO head bridge, on receipt of the information, moved to the scene and saw a young man in a pool of blood while another was injured.
“The victims were rushed to the hospital where the doctor confirmed one dead. The police also recovered six expended cartridges from the scene. Further details shall be communicated, please,” Ikenga added
In a related event in December 2023, there was pandemonium along the Onitsha-Owerri Road by Obodoukwu Junction, Onitsha, Anambra State, when a stray bullet from some gun-wielding men wearing black jackets suspected to be operatives of the Anambra State Anti-touts Agency killed a young man.
It was gathered that the victim identified as Chimezie from Achina, Aguata Local Government Area of the state, was standing at the balcony of his residence by the Shoe Site, near Okpoko Police Station, in Ogbaru Local Government Area, when the stray bullet hit him.
He was said to have just completed his mandatory one-year national service then.