Stray Bullet from ‘Military Personnel’s Celebratory Gunfire’ Kills 14-year-old in Maiduguri

Amnesty International has called on Nigerian authorities to investigate the alleged reckless use of firearms by military personnel that led to the death of a 14-year-old girl in Maiduguri, Borno state.

In a statement on Sunday, the rights organisation said the secondary school student was killed on Saturday, April 4, after she was hit by a stray bullet inside her home.

Amnesty International said the shot was reportedly fired by military personnel engaged in celebratory gunfire during a wedding ceremony at a nearby event centre.

A family friend of the victim said the teenager had been preparing to attend a wedding celebration when the incident occurred.

“She lived in the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) quarters with her family and was inside her home when the tragedy occurred,” a source was quoted to have said.

“She had just finished applying henna for her mother and herself, joyfully preparing for a family wedding scheduled for that same day.”

The organisation described the killing as preventable and urged authorities to ensure accountability.

Amnesty International said the victim was buried on Sunday at the Maiduguri graveyard, adding that her family and friends are “left seeking answers for a death that was entirely preventable.”

The group called for a “transparent, impartial and effective investigation” into the incident to safeguard lives and ensure justice.

When contacted, Michael Onoja, director of defence media operations, told TheCable he could not comment on the incident.

“I don’t have any details of it yet. Can’t comment yet,” Onoja said.

Nahum Daso, police spokesperson in Borno, was unavailable as calls and messages to his phone went unanswered at the time of filing this report.