A grieving mother in Anambra State has cried out for justice after her 20-year-old daughter was shot dead by officers of a local vigilante group set up by Governor Chukwuma Soludo.
The tragic incident occurred on 27th February in Uli, Ihiala Local Government Area, while the young woman succumbed to her injuries on 2nd March.
In a heart-wrenching video circulating on social media, the distraught mother, who hails from Ubahu Ihembosi in Ekwusigo Local Government Area, recounted the horrific events that led to her daughter’s death.
According to her, the vigilante officers, led by individuals identified as “Daddy” and “Udor,” were in pursuit of suspected internet fraudsters, commonly known as Yahoo Boys, when they opened fire, striking her daughter in the neck.
She said her daughter was shot in the neck at Bank Road, Uwamgbede in Uli, Ihiala by the security officers.
“Uli security officers (vigilantes) were chasing Yahoo Boys at Bank Road, Uwamgbede in Ihiala and were shooting during which a stray bullet hit my daughter in the neck.
“I was called on the phone, but by then, someone had taken her to the hospital,” the grieving mother recalled through tears.
However, the situation took a disturbing turn when the vigilante officers allegedly intervened.
“But the security officers came and took her into their vehicle. I wanted to enter the vehicle but they refused.
“They cocked their guns and threatened to shoot me. I insisted on following them to know where they were taking my child to but they moved,” she recounted.
Desperate to find her injured daughter, the woman and her family frantically searched local hospitals, including Our Lady’s Hospital, but found no trace of her.
It was only later in the evening that they received a call informing them that the girl had been abandoned at a hospital without any financial deposit or assistance from the officers.
She said, “I thought they were going to Our Lady’s Hospital but we rushed to Our Lady’s and all the hospitals in Ihiala but we didn’t see my child. By then, the child was bleeding too much.
“It was in the evening that we went to the security office at Uli (known as) office Daddy. Daddy said that his boys went to work but he doesn’t know if his boys were responsible for the shooting.
“He asked us to drop our phone number and if they returned in the evening, if they shot anyone, they would let us know.”
She continued, “We returned home but someone called us on the phone saying that she was dropped off at one hospital.
“They took my child and dropped her at the hospital without making any deposit or anything. It was when I got to the hospital in the evening that I made a deposit, paid for a card and looked for blood to give her.”
Upon arrival, the devastated mother paid for medical treatment, including a scan and blood transfusion, in an attempt to save her daughter’s life.
Despite the efforts, the young woman’s condition worsened, and doctors referred her to a more advanced facility for treatment.
She said, “After conducting a scan, they (her people) saw one of the security officers (she identified as Udor) who told them that if the blood given to her was not enough, they should let him know. Meanwhile, he was outside the hospital. He didn’t come inside the hospital to see the child.
“In the morning the doctor at the hospital said we would do another scan and after the second scan, the doctor said we should go to Our Lady’s Hospital. We went to Our Lady’s Hospital but they referred us to the Teaching Hospital but we went to Evans hospital.”
According to her, “But along the line, the security man called the doctor and asked if we had taken the child to another hospital and the doctor told him yes, that the child’s case was serious.
“We were at Evans hospital and Evans mentioned the amount of money we would pay for the child’s operation but on Sunday morning the child died.
“Till now, none of the security officers have asked us about the child’s health. They all went and relaxed.”
According to the man who interviewed the victim’s mother, the child lost her father three years ago.
The man who expressed concerns over the conduct of the vigilante group, said, “We don’t no longer understand whether we were given security officers to secure us or to kill us.
“The Udor in question is known for harassing people in Ihiala.
“Please, we need help to be saved from those killing us. They were asked to protect us but they are killing us,” the man said in the video.”
This is very heartbreåking 😭😢
— CHUKS 🍥 (@ChuksEricE) March 12, 2025
Mother narrates how Anambra security shōt her little daughter to deåth while searching for yahøø boys at their residence in Bank road, Anambra state 💔😢 pic.twitter.com/YobDwvYN7l
