Pandemonium broke out at the Onitsha Head Bridge in Anambra State on Wednesday after a trader was allegedly shot by a police officer following a dispute reportedly involving a N5,000 bribe.
The incident caused tension among traders and other road users, with witnesses said to have blocked the road in protest. The development reportedly resulted in heavy traffic around the busy River Niger Head Bridge.
According to sources, the trader was pushing pharmaceutical products in a wheelbarrow to a motor park when the incident occurred. He was reportedly attempting to waybill the goods to a customer when an argument involving the payment of N5,000 allegedly escalated.
The allegation of bribery could not, however, be independently verified.
Following the shooting, the police officer allegedly involved was said to have quickly left the scene.
The Anambra State Commissioner of Police, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, later visited the area and addressed the aggrieved traders, appealing for calm.
The state police command offered a different account of the incident, saying the shooting occurred during an attempted arrest after a suspect allegedly resisted arrest.
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Police spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the Commissioner subsequently visited the victims at the hospital and assured them of the command’s support.
According to Ikenga, CP Oji Ama also pledged to personally ensure that the victims’ medical expenses were covered.
The Commissioner ordered a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident, particularly the events leading to the discharge of the firearm.
The police said the investigation would establish the facts and determine appropriate action based on its findings.
The command urged residents and traders to remain peaceful and allow the investigation to take its course, while reaffirming its commitment to professionalism, accountability, respect for human life and the rule of law.
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