A 17-year-old boy has been killed by a stray bullet fired by security operatives near the popular Biafra Market in Onitsha South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The incident happened on Thursday around Ifejike Street by Sokoto Road, causing fear and confusion among residents and traders in the area.
Eyewitnesses said the boy was sitting on a culvert beside the Nwangene Drainage, possibly on his way to a nearby toilet, when he was hit by a stray bullet. The shot reportedly came from operatives of the Anambra State “Agụnechemba” security unit, who were chasing a suspect and began firing into the air.
One witness said, “The boy was just sitting there when the bullet hit him. He fell and was lying in a pool of blood. The operatives tried to run away with their van, but traders and residents blocked them and insisted they must not abandon the body.”
Eventually, the two operatives carried the lifeless body into their van, with the help of local vigilante members and market traders. The van had the number plate **ANSG 0060**.
The Agụnechemba security group was set up by the state government in March to help the police and other security agencies fight crime in Anambra.
Reacting to the incident, the spokesperson of the Anambra State Police Command, **SP Tochukwu Ikenga**, confirmed that the two operatives involved have been arrested.
“Police operatives attached to the Onitsha Main Market Police Division, with the support of some traders, have arrested two suspects allegedly involved in the murder of a 17-year-old boy. One automatic pump-action gun was recovered,” Ikenga said in a statement on Friday.
He explained that the suspects, who claimed to be security operatives, were attempting to arrest someone but ended up firing carelessly.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Ikoiye Orutugu, strongly condemned the unprofessional behaviour. He has ordered the immediate transfer of the suspects to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Awka for a full investigation,” Ikenga added.
