Gunfire in Onitsha Main Market: Police Restore Calm After Ocha Brigade-Trader Clash
By Onwe Wisdom | Pan Afric Reporters, Onitsha, Anambra State
The Anambra State Police Command has restored calm in Onitsha Main Market following a violent clash between personnel of the Ocha Brigade, the state’s Environmental Law Enforcement outfit, and some traders, which left seven people with gunshot injuries and one dead.
The incident according to a press release e-signed by the Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, September 9, 2025, when a reported altercation spiraled into gunfire, sparking unrest among traders in one of West Africa’s busiest commercial hubs.
Responding to a distress call, the Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Ikioye Orutugu, fwc, MNIPS, PhD, deployed tactical teams and other security agencies to the scene. The operation, led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, alongside the Area Commander Onitsha, the Divisional Police Officer Main Market, and the Commander of the Anti-Cultism Squad, successfully quelled the disturbance and dispersed agitated traders back to their shops.
Victims of the shooting identified as Mr. Ebuka Orakwe, Orum Oluebube, Anthony Kosisochukwu, Ifeoma Ezema, and 22-year-old Chinwe Igwe, alongside two others yet to be named were quickly evacuated to hospital. Sadly, Miss Igwe was confirmed dead on arrival, while the others remain in stable condition and are responding positively to treatment.
In a bid to bring the culprits to justice, the Police Command has extended an invitation to the management of the Ocha Brigade to identify the suspects for prosecution. Security patrols and surveillance have also been intensified in the market to forestall further breakdown of law and order.
“Normalcy has since been restored in the area, while patrols and monitoring continue to ensure sustained peace,” stated SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the Police Public Relations Officer in Awka.
