Stray Bullet Claims Life of 20-Month-Old Child in Owerri

OWERRI, Nigeria (NAN) - A stray bullet from an unidentified source has reportedly struck and killed a 20-month-old child in Umuoba-Uratta, located in the Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo. 

The event took place around 10:00 p.m. on Monday. In a statement to reporters, the child's mother, Kelechi Eleweke, expressed her shock regarding the "mysterious circumstances" surrounding her son's death.

Describing the incident, Eleweke recounted that she was with her baby on Monday night when she "heard a loud noise and felt a shower of sand-like particles on my body."

This was followed by her son’s cries for help as he repeatedly called out "mummy." The next thing she noticed was blood covering both his body and the bed.

Eleweke quickly picked up her child and rushed outside seeking assistance to take him to a nearby hospital.

The devastated mother shared that instead of immediate help, a man who appeared to be a doctor "requested a police report before treating my child."

Despite their urgent pleas, he merely wrapped a plaster around the boy's head and instructed them to take him to the Federal Medical Center (FMC) in Owerri.

The child's father, Okechukwu, stated that after waiting for some time on the road, he managed to find a vehicle that transported them to FMC, where "the boy was still alive upon our arrival."

However, upon entering the emergency pediatric ward, the attending doctor quickly assessed the child and declared him dead on arrival.

The family is unable to ascertain the origin of the "mysterious bullet" that took their child's life, but they learned on Tuesday morning that there had been sporadic gunfire in their area the previous night.

"I was unaware of the gunshots until this morning when my neighbors discussed them. They mentioned that some individuals were shooting around our area that night," Okechukwu remarked.

He further stated, "We do not know what they were celebrating that led to my son’s death." Chika Ibeawuchi, a former youth leader in the community who voiced his sorrow over the tragic event, could not confirm the source of the gunfire.

"I have no knowledge of the shootings other than that they lasted over 30 minutes,"  Ibeawuchi stated.

He revealed that police officers from the Owerri North Divisional Headquarters arrived on Tuesday morning to take the baby and the father in order to retrieve the bullet.

He urged the police to conduct a "thorough investigation" to uncover the circumstances surrounding the death of the innocent child. Attempts to reach the state police spokesman, DSP Henry Okoye, were unsuccessful, as he did not answer calls or respond to text messages sent to him.

 However, a senior officer at the divisional headquarters confirmed the incident on the condition of anonymity, adding that they were handling the case.