Tension broke out in Onitsha, Anambra State, on Sunday after Nigerian Army personnel allegedly opened fire on police officers returning from election duty.
The incident reportedly occurred at a military checkpoint along Onitsha Road, where a heated argument between the soldiers and policemen escalated into gunfire.
According to one of the affected officers: “We had a misunderstanding with Army personnel at the checkpoint. Before we knew it, they opened fire on us. One of us was shot directly in the chest, and several others were injured.”
Meanwhile, the confrontation triggered chaos at the scene, with reinforcements called in to manage the situation.
Videos circulating online show a tense and riotous atmosphere as the clash unfolded.
This incident comes just a day after the November 8, 2025, Anambra governorship election, which saw Governor Charles Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) re-elected with 422,664 votes.
His closest challenger, Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), secured 99,445 votes, while Paul Chukwuma of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) and John Nwosu of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) followed with 37,753 and 8,208 votes, respectively.
Although the election was largely peaceful, this post-election clash has raised concerns about inter-agency coordination during national assignments.
Approximately 45,000 police officers were deployed across the state for the election.
At the time of filing this report, neither the Nigerian Army nor the Police High Command has issued an official statement regarding the confrontation.
