There was pandemonium in Onitsha on Wednesday at the River Niger Head Bridge, after a policeman allegedly shot a trader over argument resulting from payment of N5,000 bribe.

Though the allegation could not be immediately verified, sources said the man was pushing pharmaceutical products in a wheelbarrow to a motor park in attempt to waybill them to a customer when the incident happened.

The shooting caused traders to block the road in protest, leading to a huge traffic gridlock, while the policeman who carried out the act was said to have quickly disappeared.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, has visited the scene and addressed aggrieved traders.

He said the incident arose from a confrontation during an attempted arrest, stating that the immediate priority of the command was to ensure that the victim’s recover fully.

The spokesperson of the state police command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga said the incident occurred when a suspect allegedly resisted arrest, resulting in gunshot injuries.

Ikenga said: “The Commissioner of Police subsequently visited the victims at the hospital, where he assured them of the Command’s support and pledged to personally ensure that their medical expenses are covered.

“CP Nnanna further ordered a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident, particularly the events leading to the discharge of the firearm. He stressed that the investigation will establish the facts and ensure that appropriate action is taken based on its findings.”

He appealed for calm and urged members of the public to remain peaceful and allow the investigation to run its course. He also reiterated the Command’s commitment to professionalism, accountability, respect for human life and the rule of law.

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arrested 10 suspected traffic robbers and 20 motorists for allegedly driving against traffic, popularly known as ‘one-way’.

The FCT Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Mohammed Sanusi, disclosed this on Wednesday while giving an update on the command’s recent operations.

Sanusi said the crackdown followed complaints from residents about criminals who rob motorists and passengers during traffic congestion, sometimes disguising themselves as hawkers.

He said he had directed Divisional Police Officers, particularly those operating in the city centre, to remove suspicious persons from major roads and traffic points.

“So far, we have arrested ten traffic robbery suspects,” Sanusi said.

He listed the suspects as Umar Salihu, Yusuf Isah, Aliyu Hamza, Abubakar Naziru, Muhammed Musa, Yagugu Mohammed, Suwidi Jibril, Kasimu Taraba, Abubakar Sani and Aminu Umar.

According to him, the suspects are currently in police custody and are undergoing investigation.

He also disclosed that 20 motorists arrested by the command for various traffic offences, particularly driving against traffic, had been charged in court.

He further said that three victims were kidnapped from their residence in the Nyanya area of the FCT on August 14 and taken to New Nyanya in Nasarawa State, where they were held by their abductors. According to him, police operatives from the Violent Crime Response Unit, Team 1, tracked the suspects with the help of information provided by a resident and arrested two persons allegedly linked to the kidnapping.

He identified the suspects as Godwin Afekhide and Aaron Ogbu.

“All three victims were rescued unharmed and reunited with their family,” he said.

The Commissioner of Police further disclosed the arrest of suspects linked to armed robbery, burglary and the alleged receiving of stolen property.

He said one Ismail Tasiu, 32, was arrested at a hotel in Jabi following investigations into robbery incidents in Nyanya and Kubwa.

According to him, Tasiu was arrested alongside Adamu Aliyu, 35, who was allegedly identified as a receiver of stolen items.

Police recovered five motorcycles, three knives, a number plate and a face cap bearing the inscription Kaduna State Vigilante Service from the suspects.

“We also arrested six suspects linked to burglary and armed robbery. Investigations revealed that the gang specialised in breaking into houses at night, stealing valuables and stabbing their victims,” Sanusi added.

The Commissioner of Police assured residents that the command would sustain its operations against criminal elements across the FCT.

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Four members of the Islamic State West Africa Province, ISWAP, have surrendered to Nigerian troops in Borno State, providing information on the activities and structure of a terrorist enclave in Marte Local Government Area.

The development was contained in information obtained by security analyst and counter-insurgency expert, Zagazola Makama.

The four individuals, comprising two adults and two minors, reportedly told investigators that they had been abducted and forced into the terrorist group at different locations in Borno State.

They were identified as Isha Bukar, 19, from Gamboru Ngala; Abubakar Alkali, 25, from Monguno; Tijani Mele, 15, from Dikwa; and Abubakar Mohammed Mairiga, 24, from Damboa.

Bukar said he was abducted about a year ago by his elder brother, who was an ISWAP member, and taken to the Arinna Chiki terrorist camp in Marte.

Alkali said ISWAP fighters abducted him while he was working on his farm at Buluwa village in Marte, while Mele said he was abducted by his brother while fetching firewood around the Gudunbali General Area in Guzamala.

Mairiga, a fisherman from Damboa, reportedly said he was abducted by ISWAP fighters while fishing at Dowoshi in Kukawa Local Government Area.

The four later escaped from the camp and surrendered to Nigerian troops, with military sources attributing their decision partly to sustained airstrikes and psychological operations that had disrupted activities within the enclave.

According to the sources, the military pressure had worsened conditions inside the camp, leaving some members increasingly disillusioned with the group.

“Survival in such condition was nearly impossible,” one of the former members reportedly said.

According to the information provided by the former ISWAP members, Arinna Chiki in Marte is a major terrorist enclave, with the camp’s leadership, internal structure and operations also disclosed to investigators.

The camp is reportedly headed by individuals identified as Abu Salim and Abu Riana, alongside other commanders, and comprises several settlements, including Gari Ba’amfani, Mujiza, Guzuma, Sabon Tumbu, Yates Kura and Latimer.

Investigators were also told that weapons are issued to fighters before operations and returned to the leadership afterwards. The group reportedly conducts attacks in parts of Borno, including Monguno, Marte, Ngoshe and Gamboru Ngala, as well as across the border in Cameroon.

ISWAP also reportedly relies on attacks against civilians, commuters and farming activities to obtain supplies and sustain its operations.

Following their surrender, the four individuals were taken to Headquarters Sector 3 for processing and further interrogation.

The development comes amid sustained military operations involving ground offensives, airstrikes and psychological operations aimed at degrading terrorist networks in the North-East and encouraging fighters and their associates to abandon the insurgency.