•The victim
Human rights organisation, Amnesty International (AI), has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to launch a thorough investigation into the killing of a 14-year-old girl by a stray bullet in Maiduguri, Borno State.
The incident reportedly occurred on Saturday while the victim was carrying out household activities, reports Channels TV.
It is unclear where the stray bullet originated, but an unconfirmed report indicated that members of the Civilian Joint Task Force fired gunshots in a nearby compound as part of celebrations during a social event.
In a statement yesterday, Amnesty International said, “Nigerian authorities must investigate the reckless use of firearms by the military that killed a girl in Maiduguri, Borno State.”
“The 14-year-old secondary school student was killed on Saturday, April 4, after being hit by a stray bullet while inside her home. The fatal shot was reportedly fired by military personnel engaged in celebratory gunfire during a wedding ceremony at a nearby event centre,” the statement said.
Amnesty quoted a family member of the victim as saying, “She (the deceased) lived in the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) quarters with her family and was inside her home when the tragedy occurred. She had just finished applying henna for her mother and herself, joyfully preparing for a family wedding scheduled for that same day.”
It added that while her funeral was held yesterday morning at the Maiduguri graveyard, her family and friends are left seeking answers for a death that was entirely preventable.
The organisation called for a transparent, impartial, and effective investigation into the incident to safeguard lives and ensure justice.
