A 12-year-old boy has been shot dead by a member of a recently launched security group in Anambra State called Agụnechemba, also known as Operation Udo Ga-Achị. This group has faced several accusations of unjust killings since it started in March.
The tragic incident happened on Democracy Day, which was Thursday, near Ifejike Street, Sokoto Road, close to the popular Biafra Market in Onitsha South. Reports say the young boy, whose name was not known, died at the hands of security officers linked to the Onitsha South Local Government.
People who saw what happened said the boy was quietly sitting near the Nwangene drainage, most likely on his way to use a nearby public toilet, when he was suddenly shot by one of the officers. There was no sign of argument or any wrong behavior from the boy before he was killed.
After the shooting, the officers tried to escape the scene in their patrol van. But angry residents and traders quickly gathered, blocked the road, and refused to let them go without taking responsibility for the boy’s death.
Under heavy pressure from the crowd, which included market vigilantes, the officers eventually carried the boy’s body into their van. A video of the incident is now going viral online, showing two of the officers lifting the boy’s body into a van marked ANSG 0060 with emergency contact numbers printed on it.
A local vigilante identified as Nwadibia said their team had to step in quickly to make sure the boy’s body wasn’t abandoned, and to ensure the right people were held responsible.
Eyewitnesses also said this was not the first time such an incident had happened. They claimed the officers have been involved in similar killings before and always walk free without being punished.
“There was no reason for the shooting. The boy didn’t cause any trouble. He just wanted to use the toilet,” one resident said.
Another witness, a trader named Magnus Okoli, described the act as senseless and inhumane. He blamed the officers for trying to run away and said their behavior showed complete disregard for life.
“He was just a child. Even if they suspected him, they should have questioned him, not shoot. From where their van was parked, it was clear they saw him well. This wasn’t a mistake,” Okoli added.
The Police Public Relations Officer for Anambra State, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, has not responded to the video or questions sent to him at the time this report was filed.
Also, efforts to get a comment from the Special Adviser to the Governor on Homeland Security, Chief Ken Emeakayi, were unsuccessful. He didn’t answer his phone or reply to messages.
