David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

Operatives of the Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra, also known as OCHA Brigade, a paramilitary agency in Anambra State, have allegedly shot dead a pregnant woman and three others.

Sources said the shooting may have been as a result of accidental discharge from an operative attached to the agency, while enforcing ban on street trading in Onitsha.

It was gathered that the incident happened yesterday close to the popular Onitsha Main Market, at Emeka Offor Plaza on the New Market Road in Onitsha.

Though a pregnant woman was said to have died instantly as a result of the shooting, the status of four other people involved in the incident was not ascertained, as other witnesses said they had been rushed to the hospital for treatment.

Eyewitnesses said the incident occurred yesterday morning, sparking panic and outrage among traders and residents who fled the scene for safety.

One of the sources said: “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.”

It was gathered that the shooting happened during an enforcement on ban against roadside trading, and activity the agency engages in, in markets across the state.

Police authorities in Anambra State confirmed the incident, but insisted that only one lady lost her life, while four others were only wounded and have been taken to the hospital for treatment.

The state Police Command spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, who spoke with THISDAY, said: “Yes, the incident happened, and once we heard of it, the state Police commissioner, Ikioye Orutugu, promptly dispatched operatives led by Assistant Police Commissioner in charge of operations to restore calm in the area.

“As I speak to you, calm has been restored in the market, while one woman was confirmed dead. Four other persons involved in the incident have been taken to the hospital.”

On the causes of the shooting, Ikenga said, started as a result of altercation between traders and the operatives during an enforcement exercise, and later ended in sporadic shooting.

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