Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Thousands of youths from Mgbakwu community in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State took to the streets on Friday in a furious protest over the killing of a 26‑year‑old man, popularly known as “Akidi,” allegedly by operatives of the state‑owned security outfits SASA (Special Anti‑Touting Squad) and Udogachi. The protesters, who were joined by women and sympathetic residents, blocked major roads, carried fresh leaves, and later formed a motorcade on motorcycles, riding over 10 kilometres to Awka, the state capital, to register their grievances.
The incident reportedly occurred around 10 p.m. on Thursday, 30 April 2026, when a joint team of SASA and Udogachi operatives raided the community in an operation aimed at ridding it of hard drugs. Accounts of how Akidi died remain conflicting. While some witnesses claimed he was standing by the roadside talking to his wife when a bullet from an operative’s gun accidentally discharged and struck him, others alleged he was stabbed to death. A source within the SASA team, however, told The News Chronicle that the youth attacked the operatives, prompting a response that led to the fatal injury; a SASA operative is also said to have been injured in the encounter.
The killing is not an isolated incident. Community leaders recalled that less than a year ago, a young woman was also killed in the same community under similar circumstances involving Udogachi operatives. In an open letter to Governor Charles Soludo, Hon. Chimaobi Kingsley Egwu, a community leader, accused the security outfits of straying from their mandate. “Their actions have reportedly resulted in the loss of innocent lives, particularly among the youth, thereby destroying futures rather than preserving them,” Egwu wrote, adding that the groups have become “a source of fear and distress” to residents.
The protest quickly escalated on Friday morning as youths blocked the main entrance to Mgbakwu, shutting down economic activities and preventing vehicular movement. Some of the protesters then carried the corpse of the slain youth and marched towards the Government House in Awka, but were stopped by police at the Alex Ekwueme Square Gate on Emeka Anyaoku Boulevard. The protesters vowed to remain on the streets until Governor Soludo addresses the community and ensures that those responsible are brought to justice. “We cannot have a state where those paid to protect us are the ones slaughtering us in our prime,” one protester was heard saying.
Efforts to obtain official responses proved largely unsuccessful. The Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Dr. Law Mefor, neither confirmed nor denied the killing, directing inquiries to the Agunechemba Commander, Chief Ken Emeakayi, who did not return calls. The SASA Managing Director, Mr. Nwokoye, and the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, also failed to respond to multiple attempts for comment. As of Friday evening, no official statement had been issued by the state government or the implicated security outfits regarding the incident.
The SASA and Udogachi units were established under Governor Soludo’s administration to curb touting and communal crime, but residents have increasingly accused them of operating with little to no oversight, and of using excessive force. This latest killing has sparked renewed calls for the disbandment and retraining of the outfits, with several civil society groups and political figures previously raising alarms about their conduct. Friday’s protest follows a disturbing national trend of alleged law enforcement lawlessness, coming just days after a police officer in Delta State was captured on video shooting a restrained suspect at close range.
As the sun set over Awka, the protesters remained defiant, vowing to continue their action until the government responds. For the family of the slain youth and the Mgbakwu community, the demand is simple: justice for Akidi and an end to the reign of impunity by state‑backed security operatives.
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