Tension erupted in Onitsha, Anambra State, on Thursday following the alleged killing of a 12-year-old boy by a trigger-happy operative of Operation Udo Ga-Achi, a security outfit reportedly attached to the Onitsha South Local Government Area.
The tragic incident occurred at Ifejike Street, near Biafra Market, when the young boy--yet to be officially identified--was reportedly shot while sitting on a culvert near the Nwangene Drainage, on his way to use a public toilet.
Eyewitnesses said the boy was not questioned or confronted before being fatally shot.
According to reports, the operatives attempted to flee the scene immediately after realizing the boy had died. However, an enraged crowd, including local vigilante members and traders, surrounded their vehicle and forced them to remain at the scene.
Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines
The growing crowd insisted that the operatives carry the victim's body back to their base at the local government, to avoid false attribution of the killing to local vigilantes.
"We couldn't allow them to flee," said Nwadibia, a local vigilante operative. "If they had left the corpse, people might have blamed us."
In a video circulating on social media, two Operation Udo Ga-Achi operatives are seen carrying the deceased's lifeless body to their operational vehicle, a pickup truck marked ANSG 0060, under the watch of angry traders and residents.
The scene drew widespread condemnation. Magnus Okoli, a trader at Biafra Market, described the shooting as senseless and unprovoked.
"The boy was just about 12 years old. He wasn't even a suspect. He was shot while trying to ease himself. This was a deliberate and calculated killing--nothing accidental about it," he said.
Eyewitnesses also claimed that the officers didn't resist the demand to remove the body--an unusual act given the often-defensive posture of security teams in such incidents.
"They knew what they had done," one observer said. "If they had any defense, they would have tried to scare us off. But they didn't."
As of press time, Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, had not responded to calls or messages. A visit to the Fegge Police Station also yielded no comment, as the Divisional Police Officer was reportedly unavailable.
Residents and traders are calling for justice for the slain boy, and for an immediate investigation into the conduct of the Operation Udo Ga-Achi operatives involved in the killing.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
