Tension gripped Onitsha on Thursday after a 12-year-old boy was allegedly killed by a security operative.
The boy was shot near Ifejike Street, close to Biafra Market, while heading to a public toilet, Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) gathers.
Eyewitnesses claimed the boy sat quietly on a culvert before being shot without provocation or warning.
The shooter belongs to Operation Udo Ga-Achi, a security outfit reportedly linked to Onitsha South Local Government Council.
Residents said the operatives attempted to flee the scene immediately after realizing the boy had died.
However, angry traders, residents, and vigilantes quickly surrounded their vehicle and blocked any attempt to escape.
“We stopped them because we didn’t want the killing blamed on us,” said Nwadibia, a local vigilante member.
The crowd insisted that the operatives carry the body back to their base to own up to the killing.
A widely shared video shows two operatives lifting the lifeless body into a white pickup marked ANSG 0060.
Onlookers watched in silence and anger as the officers carried the body without protest or resistance.
Eyewitnesses noted that the operatives didn’t act defensively, which is rare in such confrontations.
“They didn’t even try to defend themselves,” said one observer. “That silence told us they knew the truth.”
The victim’s identity has yet to be confirmed by officials, but locals say he was around 12 years old.
One trader, Magnus Okoli, called the shooting senseless and deliberate, not accidental or reactionary.
“The boy wasn’t a threat. He was just trying to ease himself. This was cold-blooded,” Okoli lamented.
Residents say the operatives showed no remorse, only compliance under pressure from the crowd.
Attempts to get comments from the Anambra State Police PRO, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, were unsuccessful.
Calls and messages went unanswered, and the Divisional Police Officer at Fegge was reportedly unavailable.
Locals are now demanding justice for the young victim and accountability for the involved security operatives.
They want a full investigation and punishment for those responsible for the boy’s tragic death.
This incident has reignited concerns over the conduct of local security outfits operating without clear oversight or control.
Calls are growing louder for a review of Operation Udo Ga-Achi’s authority and engagement guidelines.
Community members vow not to relent until justice is served and the boy’s family receives answers.
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