Operatives of Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra State, also known as OCHA Brigade, who were involved in a shooting incident that claimed the life of a pregnant woman and others have been arrested.
The operatives were said to be on an enforcement exercise at Main Market Onitsha when an altercation ensued between them and traders, leading to shooting that sent panic into traders and customers in the market.
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 reaffirmed its commitment to law, order and public accountability.
The state government described operatives who went on the exercise that led to the shooting as being unauthorized. The leadership of OCHA Brigade dismissed those involved as not having his authority to go on the 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.
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