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According to his family, Fabian was not involved in any form of crime but was simply relieving himself when he was fatally shot. His uncle, Nnamdi Ugo, who spoke on behalf of the family, expressed deep sorrow over the incident, saying the pain would have been more bearable if the boy had been killed in the course of criminal activity. However, the circumstances surrounding his death have left the family devastated.
Fabian, a student of Comprehensive Secondary School, Igidiagu in Abakaliki Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, had traveled to Onitsha for vacation work. He was scheduled to return to school on Saturday, June 14, 2025, ahead of resumption on Monday, June 16. Tragically, he was killed before he could make the journey back.
Narrating the incident, Nnamdi explained that Fabian was shot while defecating in a gutter near a public toilet in Onitsha. His friend, Samuel Nwangene, who accompanied him, said they had gone to the toilet because their workday at the motor park had yet to begin. According to Samuel, after he exited the toilet, two men from Operation Udo Ga-Achi arrived in a pickup truck and, without warning, fired at Fabian.
“I heard them shouting ‘Chop the head!’ before one of them opened fire on him. He fell into the gutter where he was still relieving himself,” Samuel recounted, describing the trauma of witnessing his childhood friend being gunned down.
Following the shooting, the operatives were reportedly compelled by bystanders and local vigilantes to retrieve Fabian’s body from the gutter. The crowd then followed them to deposit his remains at the Federal Medical Centre, Onitsha.
Adding to the family’s grief, Fabian’s ATM card, which he always carried in his pocket, was allegedly found in the possession of one of the operatives when they arrived at the Fegge Police Station. The police, under pressure, forced the operative to hand it over.
The family’s attempt to report the killing at Fegge Police Station was also met with violence. According to Nathaniel Mbam, who accompanied Nnamdi, they were assaulted at the station’s gate. His sister, Joy Mbah, was reportedly struck on the head by a police officer and fainted. She was later revived by officers at the station. Nathaniel was also detained for hours over false allegations of attempting to incite a mob attack on the station.
Despite the ordeal, the intervention of the Divisional Police Officer from the Onitsha Main Market Police Post helped ensure that a formal report was made. Two members of the Operation Udo Ga-Achi team involved in the shooting were arrested and transferred to the State CID in Awka.
When contacted, the Area Manager of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) in Onitsha, Mr. Victor Nwokocha, placed the blame squarely on the Onitsha South Local Government. He revealed that the shooting occurred on NIWA’s Right of Way — an area where a court order had barred local government operatives from operating.
Nwokocha accused the Onitsha South authorities of repeatedly violating the court order and using operatives of Operation Udo Ga-Achi and other task forces to intimidate NIWA workers. He warned that the continued disobedience of court rulings by local officials and their use of forceful tactics could lead to more tragedies.
He further alleged that local officials, emboldened by political connections, have taken over revenue collection duties meant for NIWA and have turned the area into an unregulated motor park. “The authorities of Onitsha South Local Government must be held accountable. This death was avoidable and the government must act to prevent another,” he said.
Efforts to reach the Anambra State Police spokesperson, Tochukwu Ikenga, for confirmation of the arrests and investigation status were unsuccessful, as calls to his phone were not answered.
The grieving family has vowed to pursue every legal and civil avenue to ensure justice for Fabian, who they insist was innocent and undeserving of such a tragic end. Watch full video here
