Operatives of the OCHA Brigade, also known as Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra State, have been arrested for their involvement in a shooting incident at Onitsha’s Main Market that resulted in the death of a pregnant woman and others.
The incident occurred during an enforcement exercise when an altercation between the operatives and traders escalated into shooting, causing panic among market patrons.
According to Razor reports, a source in the market said the shooting led to the death of five persons including a pregnant woman, but police authorities insisted that only one woman died, while four others were injured and rushed to hospital for treatment.
The incident had raised condemnation on the activities of some law enforcement agents recruited by the state government.
But in reaction, the Anambra State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to law, order and public accountability.
The state government describes operatives who went on the exercise that led to the shooting as being unauthorized. The leadership of the OCHA Brigade dismissed those involved as not having the authority to go on the said operation.
Speaking on the development, the Managing Director of the OCHA Brigade, Mr Celestine Anere, clarified that: “The operation was not approved by the leadership of the agency, and such unsanctioned actions contradict the clear standards guiding the operations of the Brigade.
“Those involved have been taken into custody and will be handed over to the Police and the Department of State Services (DSS) for thorough investigation.”
Mr Anere reiterated that Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s administration remains on top gear in its efforts to entrench discipline, restore sanity and ensure a clean, green and livable Anambra.
He assured that any staff found culpable will face decisive sanctions, while reaffirming that all enforcement activities of the OCHA Brigade must strictly align with the law establishing the agency
