Massacre in Onitsha: IPOB Lawyer Ifeanyi Ejiofor Demands Probe, Justice for Traders Killed by Anambra Gov’s Enforcement Team

Massacre in Onitsha: IPOB Lawyer Ifeanyi Ejiofor Demands Probe, Justice for Traders Killed by Anambra Gov’s Enforcement Team

The bustling commercial city of Onitsha, Anambra State, has been thrown into mourning and anger after traders were brutally killed during a violent clash with alleged government enforcement officers. What should have been a routine day of business in one of West Africa’s largest trading hubs turned into a bloodbath, leaving families shattered and a city on edge.

The killings, which occurred during what officials described as a revenue enforcement operation, have sparked widespread outrage and intensified calls for justice from human rights advocates, lawyers, civil society organizations, and members of the public. At the center of these calls is Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor, the legal counsel to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who has strongly condemned the incident, describing it as an “unforgivable abuse of power and a direct assault on the fundamental rights of citizens.”

Eyewitnesses recounted how a combined enforcement team, allegedly operating under directives from the state government’s task force, stormed sections of the crowded market to enforce revenue collection. Traders, who had long accused the task force of harassment and illegal extortion, resisted the operation, insisting that they had already paid the required fees. Tensions quickly spiraled out of control, and in the chaos that followed, members of the enforcement team allegedly opened fire on unarmed traders. Witnesses described harrowing scenes of people running for safety as gunshots rang out, stalls abandoned, and bloodied bodies lying on the streets. Several were confirmed dead, while many others sustained life-threatening injuries.

In his statement, Ejiofor demanded immediate accountability. “We cannot continue to live in a state where government-backed agents take the lives of citizens with impunity. The blood of innocent traders has been shed unjustly, and this demands both immediate investigation and justice. Nothing short of that will be acceptable to the people of Anambra and ndi Igbo at large,” he said. He insisted that Governor Charles Soludo must not only condemn the killings but also take full responsibility as the Chief Security Officer of the state by ensuring that those behind the incident are brought to justice.

The lawyer called for the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), civil society groups, and international watchdogs to intervene, expressing fears that without external oversight the matter could be swept under the carpet like many other cases of extrajudicial killings in Nigeria. Ejiofor also urged international organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the United Nations to monitor developments closely and press for justice for the victims and their families.

Anger is also mounting among the Onitsha trading community, which has long complained about what they describe as the excessive brutality of government task forces. Several traders’ associations have accused the enforcement units of transforming into a “revenue militia” whose sole purpose is to extort money under the guise of maintaining order. In the wake of the killings, leaders of the market unions have threatened to shut down business operations in Onitsha if the state government fails to take swift and decisive action. “We have lost our brothers and colleagues to the very people who are supposed to protect us. Enough is enough,” one trader lamented. “If justice is not done, every market in Onitsha will be closed in protest until our voices are heard.”

The killings have once again exposed the wider problem of impunity among law enforcement and government-backed task forces across Nigeria. For years, Nigerians have raised alarms about the unchecked powers of such units, which often resort to violence and intimidation while carrying out revenue drives, demolitions, or security operations. Human rights experts warn that the excessive use of force, particularly against unarmed civilians, is becoming normalized, creating deep mistrust between the government and the people.

Critics of the Anambra government argue that the aggressive revenue enforcement policies being pursued under Governor Soludo have created an enabling environment for such brutality. While some sympathizers believe the governor may not have been directly aware of the extent of the violence carried out by his task force, many insist that ultimate responsibility rests on his shoulders. The incident, they argue, is a defining moment for Soludo’s leadership and will test his ability to respond to public outcry with justice and accountability.

International human rights defenders have also begun to weigh in, warning that the Onitsha killings must not join Nigeria’s long list of unresolved extrajudicial cases. Amnesty International, in past reports, has repeatedly highlighted how Nigerian security and enforcement officers routinely escape accountability despite clear evidence of abuses. With the spotlight now on Anambra, activists believe this is an opportunity to break the cycle of impunity by prosecuting those responsible.

For families of the slain traders, grief and uncertainty have replaced the daily hustle of the market. Many of them have demanded that their loved ones’ deaths not be in vain. Their demands echo across Onitsha, where anger continues to simmer and tension remains high. Civil society organizations in the Southeast are already mobilizing for protests and vigils, while local unions prepare to escalate pressure on the government if immediate steps are not taken.

The killings in Onitsha have become more than a local tragedy—they represent a broader test of Nigeria’s ability to uphold justice, protect human rights, and curtail the rising culture of impunity within its law enforcement system. As Nigerians and the international community await the response from Governor Soludo’s administration, one question hangs heavily in the air: will justice truly be served, or will the deaths of the traders become yet another unresolved scar on the conscience of the nation