The Anambra State Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugo, has called for calm in Onitsha and the rest part of the state following the outbreak of violence over the murder of four traders earlier today (Tuesday, Sept 9,2025) morning.
The victims who eyewitnesses said were caught unawares while trying to display their wares for the day’s business included a heavily pregnant lady.
The Police Command described the unfortunate clash as “a violent altercation involving members of the Ocha Brigade, an Anambra State Environmental Law Enforcement outfit, and traders.
According to a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Ikenga Tochukwu, “The incident, which occurred in the early hours of September 9, 2025, resulted in seven traders sustaining gunshot injuries, with one fatality reported.”
The Police statement noted that “the Command received a distress call reporting that Ocha Brigade personnel had engaged in a confrontation with traders, leading to gunfire and subsequent unrest in the market. In response, Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, swiftly deployed tactical teams, including the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, the Area Commander Onitsha, the Divisional Police Officer Main Market, and the Commander of the Anti-Cultism Squad, alongside other security agencies.
“The operatives promptly intervened, calming the agitated traders, restoring order, and ensuring they returned to their shops and lawful businesses. The victims of the gunshot injuries were identified as Mr. Ebuka Orakwe (M), Orum Oluebube (M), Anthony Kosisochukwu (M), Ifeoma Ezema (F), Chinwe Igwe (F, 22 years), and two others yet to be identified.
“They were immediately evacuated to a hospital for treatment.
“Tragically, the statement added, Miss Chinwe Igwe was confirmed dead on arrival at the hospital. Her body has been deposited at the morgue for autopsy and preservation. The other victims are receiving medical attention and are reportedly responding positively to treatment…”
Ikenga also disclosed that “the Police Command has invited the management of the Ocha Brigade to assist in identifying the suspects involved in the incident for prosecution.
He disclosed that in an effort to forestall, discourage and nip further rampage police patrols and monitoring teams have been deployed to ensure sustained peace.
However, wide condemnations have continued to greet the operations of OCHA brigade and various other sister killer agencies including the Anambra State Anti-cult Touting Squad Agency (SASA), Agunechemba, ASTA, ASMA and the Udo Ga-achi security outfits to mention just a few.
The citizens in their agony and fear that the killings and their audacious display of unruly behavior and lawlessness have cried out to the Federal Government to immediately clampdown on them, especially going by how they were lavishly used during the August 16,2025 bye-elections in the state.
These Udo Ga-achi seized 18 journalists from different parts of the country and representing separate media outfits and surrounded their bus threatened to kill all of them without consequences.
These professionals pleaded profusely for their lives as not even the eventual arrival of the State’s Deputy Governor made much difference. Yet they had claimed they were working on his instructions, that was their chairman.
In the Onitsha market killings, opposition political parties have been accusing Governor Soludo of purportedly creating task forces and clothing and arming criminals gangs with governments’ toga and vests to unleash violence, kill, maim, intimidate , brutalize and extort the citizens so much as to run everyone including political opponents out of reckoning .
An eyewitness at the scene who is a trader in the market named simply as Chinwendu said, “The incident occurred this morning as some traders were displaying their wares, the operatives of OCHA Brigade came to the place and forcefully ordered them to remove their wares.
“This led to some altercations between the traders and the operatives, and in the process of dragging the wares with the traders, the OCHA Brigade operatives opened fire and started shooting in the air.
“This led to pandemonium as people, including traders and passers-by, scampered to safety.
“This is heartbreaking. As a result of the shooting, four innocent people who left their homes this morning were shot by stray bullets. Among them is a pregnant woman and three others.
She noted that “Their lifeless bodies were later carried away by police operatives who arrived at the scene.”
‘She pointed out that ‘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. Anambra people are now living in fear because criminals have been handed guns and uniforms in the name of government enforcement
‘The governor, she alleged empowered criminals with guns to terrorize the citizens, business men and motorists and this is part of the results.
Efforts by our correspondent to get the reaction of traders,: leadership, OCHA leader of government officials as at the time of filing the report failed. When contacted on the development, the Spokesman for the Anambra State Police Command, Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident, saying that the situation is under control and calm has returned to the market.
“Although we have not got the full details, we have a report that some security officers, while carrying out their functions, opened fire, and this led to the killing of three persons.
“The situation is under control, and calm has been restored to the market. We will provide more details as soon as we get the full details of the incident,” Ikenga added.. Also, a film maker and administrator based in Onitsha, Adim Williams lamented what he described as ‘ Dokufo and his dastardly violent and sordid solution. Adim stated and told newsmen that *…When the respected Ngozi Okonjo Iweala warned that Soludo had character and integrity problem, and was desperate for relevance, most people didn’t take her seriously but today it has become so obvious even to the ardent supporter.
‘Since Soludo became governor and chief security officer, the security situation in Anambra state has gone from bad to the very worst that can be.
But the irony is that much of the present Anambra insecurity is no longer by criminals, but by government itself through formation of various criminal gangs, recruited from prisons where they were serving various jail terms. How does one explain the frequent killing of innocent citizens by an established security outfit of government in the name of Ndi Aka Odo and Ochabrigade? These armed killers employed by Soludo’s government are not protecting the indigenes and residents of Anambra state but rather, they are killing them for reasons no one can explain.
‘…No day passes without the so-called Ndi Akaodo, ATMA and Ochabrigade killing, maiming or dehumanizing ifemale P residents of this state. Just two weeks ago, they invaded a youth corpers’ residence, beat up a female corper (from another state) and stripped her naked. Abomination. Anambra state and indeed Ndigbo are famous for caring for and protecting visitors but Soludo’s security outfit is out to rubbish this wonderful virtue of Ndigbo. ‘During the last senatorial election they killed, intimated and terrorized all opposition parties and patriotic citizens who came out to exercise their legal franchise ”
Today again, September 9, the worst has happened. Soludo’s outfit invaded the popular Main Market (the largest single market in West Africa) and killed four innocent citizens and injured many more. Men and women who left their homes this morning to fend for their families were cut down by the bullets of an untrained, undisciplined and obnoxious non-state actors employed by an amateur chief executive. What manner of bitter paradox is this?
‘This can only be a result of having an uncaring, wicked and incompetent person at the helm of affairs. It is what happens when someone assumes office with no experience and begins to learn the ropes of governance from the office. That is the tragedy that has befallen Anambra state.
We voted Soludo based on APGA Bu Nke Anyi mantra but it has become obvious that this slogan and mindset have become an albatross to our people’s lives, property, peace and security
Adim. opined that ”there’s an opportunity to redress this grave mistake by Soludo who he claimed had been a civil servant all his life and has never managed any business of his own is absolutely incapable of managing the affairs of this great and enviable state. , ”It’s clearly beyond his scope,’ calling a tested and trusted government with human face.
”Anambra people should this time around vote a tested and trusted team of Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu (Ikukuoma) and his deputy, Iyom Uche Ekwunife to rescue us from the hands of this local tyrant. Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu’s credentials in security management is sterling being a prime real estate mogul with top security network for his businesses and for others.