Onitsha traders protest after police shooting in Anambra State

Traders in Onitsha, Anambra State, staged protests and barricaded the Onitsha/Asaba Expressway on Wednesday following a confrontation with police at the Ogbogwu market. The unrest was triggered by an incident where police operatives attempted to arrest traders, resulting in gunshot injuries.

Reports indicate that one trader died after a struggle with an officer over a bag, while others sustained injuries from gunfire or while fleeing tear gas deployed by security forces to disperse the crowd. Witnesses described the situation as a confrontation during an attempted arrest of individuals carrying goods.

Anambra State Police Commissioner Nnanna Ama visited the victims in the hospital, pledging that the Command would cover their medical expenses. The police spokesperson, Tochukwu Ikenga, stated that a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of the shooting has been ordered.