Traders at the Ogbo-Ogwu (Ogbogwu) Bridge Head Market in Onitsha, Anambra State, on Wednesday staged a protest that blocked major roads and caused a prolonged traffic gridlock after police operatives shot at least two traders, triggering public outrage and conflicting accounts of the incident.
The incident occurred around the River Niger Head Bridge area on the afternoon of Wednesday, August 19, 2026.
According to multiple reports, the traders—one described as an apprentice—were conveying pharmaceutical products, either in cartons or a wheelbarrow, toward a motor park for waybilling to a customer when they were approached by police officers.
Eyewitnesses told journalists that the officers interrogated the men and attempted to arrest them. The traders reportedly resisted, after which the policemen shot them in the legs. One of the injured men became unconscious, leading some bystanders to believe he had d!ed.
This sparked an immediate protest by traders and other civilians who blocked the busy Onitsha-Asaba Expressway, burned tyres in some accounts, and disrupted both vehicular and human traffic for hours.
Some sources linked the confrontation to an alleged dispute over a ₦5,000 bribe demand, though this claim could not be independently verified at the time. The officer said to have fired the shot reportedly left the scene quickly.
The Anambra State Police Command offered a different account. Spokesperson SP Tochukwu Ikenga stated that the shooting occurred during a confrontation when suspects resisted arrest, resulting in gunshot injuries.
Commissioner of Police Nnanna Oji Ama visited the scene, addressed the aggrieved traders, and later went to the hospital where the victims were receiving treatment. He assured them of the command’s support and pledged to personally ensure their medical expenses were covered.
CP Ama ordered a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding the discharge of the firearm, stressing that the probe would establish the facts and guide appropriate action.
He appealed for calm and urged the public to remain peaceful while the investigation proceeds. The command reiterated its commitment to professionalism, accountability, respect for human life, and the rule of law. By later in the day, traffic and movement around the Head Bridge area had been restored.
Human rights lawyer Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor condemned the incident, alleging that police fired at unarmed traders and protesters. He claimed the crisis began when a trader leaving the market with goods was pursued and shot at close range after failing to stop, after which officers allegedly fired indiscriminately during the ensuing protest, causing serious injuries and possible loss of lives.
Ejiofor called for an independent, transparent investigation, the identification and prosecution of any officers who discharged firearms unlawfully, and full accountability. He urged the Inspector-General of Police and the Anambra CP to ensure the probe is free of institutional bias.
One local report claimed one trader died and five others sustained injuries while fleeing tear gas, though the police denied any fatality and confirmed only injuries treated in hospital. As of Thursday, the Anambra Police Command had summoned the Area Commander and Divisional Police Officers in Onitsha for a high-level supervisory meeting on the matter.
The protest highlighted longstanding tensions between traders at the busy pharmaceutical market and security operatives, with some alleging routine harassment and demands for gratification. The investigation ordered by the police is expected to clarify the full sequence of events.
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