Mrs. Ifeoma Amarachukwu Ochiagha, a newlywed who got engaged just last Saturday, was fatally shot on Monday in Nnobi during an attack by gunmen enforcing the sit-at-home order.
Amarachukwu, an indigene of Anambra State, was among those killed when vigilante operatives clashed with gunmen at Nnobi Junction.
According to reports, she was struck by a stray bullet during the crossfire, which erupted after the vigilantes received intelligence about the armed men’s approach to Nnewi via the Nnobi community.
The confrontation, led by vigilante commander, Mr. Eloka Ubajekwe, turned deadly, resulting in the deaths of Ubajekwe and several others hit by stray bullets, including the 22-year-old Amarachukwu.
The newlywed, who had celebrated her engagement just two days prior, had her life tragically cut short, dashing hopes of her anticipated marital bliss.
A burial poster shared by her family and signed by her father, Mr. Timothy Ochiagha, confirmed her untimely death at such a young age. A relative mourned her loss in a poignant post: “One of the victims of the Nnobi/Nnewi Monday sit-at-home mayhem will be buried on Thursday. Amarachukwu, who got married on Saturday, met her sudden death (unknown gunmen) the next Monday. May your gentle soul rest in peace, Nwadiana.”
The gunmen, suspected to be separatist elements, were reportedly on a mission to enforce the abolished Monday sit-at-home protest in the South East, leading to the tragic shootout that claimed multiple lives.
The community remains in mourning as they prepare for Amarachukwu’s funeral, reflecting on the senseless violence that has robbed a young bride of her future and left a family in grief.
