Outrage in Onitsha as 12-Year-Old Boy Is Gunned Down by Local Security Operative Udo Ga Achi

 

A wave of sorrow and fury swept through the commercial hub of Onitsha, Anambra State, on Thursday, following the alleged killing of a 12-year-old boy by an operative of the local security outfit, Operation Udo Ga-Achi. The incident has sparked widespread condemnation, with eyewitnesses and residents demanding swift justice and accountability from authorities.

The tragedy unfolded along Ifejike Street, a busy corridor near the bustling Biafra Market, where the boy was reportedly shot dead without provocation. He was said to have been on his way to use a public toilet and had stopped briefly to rest on a culvert near the Nwangene drainage when the fatal shot rang out. Eyewitnesses say the child neither posed a threat nor acted suspiciously.

“There was no warning. No questioning. Just a gunshot and the child slumped,” recounted one eyewitness, still visibly shaken.

Residents identified the shooter as a member of Operation Udo Ga-Achi, a controversial local security task force allegedly attached to the Onitsha South Local Government Council. According to traders and onlookers, the operatives attempted to flee the scene immediately after realizing the boy had died. But they were quickly surrounded by a crowd that had begun to gather in anger and disbelief.

Local vigilante operatives and market traders joined forces to block the security vehicle, a white pickup truck bearing the license plate ANSG 0060. The crowd insisted that the operatives carry the child’s lifeless body themselves and return it to their operational base—both as a form of symbolic accountability and to prevent any attempts at blaming local vigilante groups for the killing.

“If we hadn’t acted fast, this would have been twisted. They would have said the local vigilantes were responsible,” said Nwadibia, a community security member who witnessed the standoff. “We ensured they didn’t leave until they took the body themselves.”

A disturbing video now making the rounds on social media shows two of the Udo Ga-Achi operatives lifting the boy’s corpse into their truck as a crowd jeers and berates them. The video has further fueled anger across Anambra State, with calls for a full-scale investigation intensifying.

Magnus Okoli, a trader in the area, called the killing a “senseless execution.”

“He was just a child,” Okoli said, voice rising with emotion. “He had no weapon, made no move to flee, and wasn’t even being pursued. This wasn’t a mistake—it was deliberate. A cold, calculated act.”

Onitsha South, a densely populated area already grappling with a tense relationship between civilians and various security operatives, now finds itself on edge. This incident, according to residents, is not isolated but emblematic of a growing culture of impunity among some of the non-federal security teams operating across the state.

Some community members noted the unusual compliance of the operatives in the aftermath of the shooting. “They didn’t argue. They didn’t threaten anyone or try to justify it. That silence was loud—it spoke volumes,” said a local mechanic who witnessed the entire ordeal.

Repeated attempts by journalists to reach the Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, yielded no response. A visit to the Fegge Police Division also offered no clarity, as the Divisional Police Officer was reportedly unavailable for comment.

Tension remained palpable across the city hours after the incident, with youths, traders, and residents holding impromptu meetings and community dialogues. Many expressed a shared sense of grief and betrayal, stating that local security should be protectors, not perpetrators.

Human rights groups are beginning to weigh in, with some promising to escalate the matter to state and federal levels. Legal experts argue that even if the local government sanctioned the Operation Udo Ga-Achi team, their actions fall within the jurisdiction of state criminal law and can attract murder charges.

Calls for an independent inquiry, disbandment of the security outfit, and prosecution of the shooter have dominated both public discussion and online platforms. Some residents are also questioning the operational mandate of the group, and whether the local government has exercised adequate oversight.

As dusk settled on Onitsha, the memory of a life cut short too soon lingered in the air. Market stalls closed early. Conversations were hushed. And at the heart of it all was the image of a young boy—whose name the community may not yet know, but whose death has shaken them to their core.

Justice, the people say, is non-negotiable. And this time, they won’t be silent.