The Nation Newspaper

Tag: stray bullet

  • Stray bullet kills mentally-deranged in Aba

    An unidentified female soldier attached to the Ngwa High School Forward Operation Base (FOB) has reportedly killed a woman at Osisioma junction leading to the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) depot, off Enugu-Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway.

    It was gathered the yet-to-be identified woman died immediately.

    Sources said the soldier was dragging her gun with a truck pusher when it mistakenly fired.

    An eyewitness, Wisdom, said the deceased was hit by stray bullets from the soldier’s rifle as she struggled with a cart pusher.

    He said: “The female soldier, I understand, told the truck pusher to take another route, but the truck pusher refused. She pushed the truck pusher but he charged at her.

    “The gun, which had been corked in an apparent move to scare the truck pusher, fired itself and the deceased was hit. The noise also attracted other soldiers to the scene.

    “The deceased, because of her mental state, couldn’t run to safety when the gun went off. The man and the deceased were later taken into the Army base.”

    Authorities of the 144 Battalion and 14 Brigade were yet to issue an official statement on the incident as at last night.

  • Tears as robbers’ stray bullet kills lady six months after graduation

    Tears as robbers’ stray bullet kills lady six months after graduation

    LADY identified as Ranti Funso Akinfolarin has reportedly died from bullets fired by robbers in the Festac area of Lagos State penultimate week.

    The Nation gathered the deceased was returning home from an outing without knowing that the robbers were operating in the area.

    One of the bullets fired indiscriminately by the robbers was said to have hit Ranti on the chest and she fell down in a pool of her blood.

    It was learnt that the pandemonium that followed the robbery incident did not allow bystanders to take her to hospital as people scamper into safety.

    Our correspondent gathered that the deceased who graduated six months ago from the Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu, had her wedding last year and celebrated her birthday two weeks ago.

    The story posted on the Facebook wall of the deceased generated emotional tributes.

    One of her friends, Oyebanji Kemmiesola, mourned her on Facebook said: ”Oluwarantimi you went down the earth yesterday at about 4:30pm. I was just like is that the end? Even in your Coffin you were smilling. So,no more play & hangout again. No one to prepare that your delicious pepper noodles again. It was me, Tonia and you . But now you left us. My beautiful always smilling friend. I will miss u forever.

    Another sympathizer, Adebiyi Christiana Abosede said: ”Today mark(sic) it 8days u left this sinful world Oluwarantimi but still look like a dream to me. U will always be remember my Bestie, Rest in perfect peace my dear frd. I love u so much Ranti Funsho Akinfolarin but God love u more. Sleep on……… Itsopainfuluarenomore….. Ore bi omo iya …….

    Another mourner, Ola-Daniels Olatunji said: ” You graduated from #Laspotech six (6)months ago and got married last year (not up to a year) also, you celebrated your birthday two (2)weeks ago which, I wished you all the best in the world. It’s a sad news to hear…you are no more Ranti Funsho Akinfolarin due to #straybullet fired in #Festac

    ”You always extend your kindly heart and understanding towards everything around you..we talked like…same blood, play like…life is free, plan like…future is here. Am just short of words. Like you said in your last fb post “If you understand Time trust me, you will envy no one”.

    It was leanrnt that the remains of the deceased have since been buried.

  • Stray bullet hits five-year-old pupil in Ibadan

    A stray bullet from an Army shooting range yesterday hit a five-year-old pupil at Idi-Omo, Ajobo, in Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State.

    The incident disrupted the ongoing third term examinations in the school.

    It was learnt that several bullets were straying from the shooting range at the 2 Division of the Army at Adekunle Fajuyi Cantonment on the outskirts of Ibadan, Oyo State capital, to homes and other places nearby.

    Though the pupil was said to be stable at the hospital where he is receiving treatment, the incident caused panic among the residents.

    The school, which is located in Ojoo, shares proximity with the Cantonment in Ibadan.

    The pupil was said to be seated in his classroom with his mates when the strayed bullet pierced through the roof of the building and hit him on the head.

    Other bullets, sources said, reportedly strayed into the school compound from the cantonment, which is holding its annual range classification.

    The shooting range was said to have started on July 10.

    But a statement by the command’s Public Relations Unit said: “The annual range classification would hold from July 12 to 14 at Adekunle Fajuyi Cantonment Range.”

    It added: “The aim of this exercise is to access troops on handling of personnel weapons, marksmanship skills as well as ascertain the level of training and their preparedness for battle.”

    When The Nation visited the school, there were bloodstains of the victim on the floor of the classroom and the walkways.

    There were also several bullets holes on the school building, which pierced through the roofs into the ceilings and the walls.

    Besides the classroom where the pupil was hit, the school’s creche was also hit, though none of the pupils was hit.

  • Badoo: Suspect lynched as stray bullet hits three in Ikorodu

    Badoo: Suspect lynched as stray bullet hits three in Ikorodu

    A suspected member of the murderous Badoo gang was yesterday lynched in Ikorodu during a riot after a stray bullet hit three persons.

    The police were said to have fired shots to disperse a mob that gathered after the slain Vincent Onama was caught around 2am by members of the local vigilante group known as Onyabo.

    One of the three was hit in the head, another in the hand, eyewitnesses could not say where the bullet hit the third person.

    Onama was caught while allegedly trying to dispossess a man of his motorcyclist.

    He was said to have been locked inside a room till dawn after being questioned.

    But when the vigilantes went to where he was kept, he had allegedly applied black oil on his body and was attempting to escape through the window, which sources described as Badoo tactics.

    He actions was said to have convinced the vigilantes that he was a Badoo member. They notified residents who trooped out to see the suspect.

    Onama, it was learnt, hitherto lived in the neighbourhood before relocating to Ajah.

    A resident, Tunde, who spoke with The Nation said the suspect mounted a roadblock to either collect his victim’s motorcycle or kill him.

    He said: “It was the anger the police provoked that led to his being killed. Initially, the people were questioning him. It was when the policemen fired shots and hit three people that the mob brought him out, lynched him and burnt him to death. One person was hit on the head and he was rushed to the hospital. I can’t say if he died or not. Another person was hit on the hand. I don’t know where the bullet hit the third victim.”

    Ikorodu Ambassadors’ Coordinator, Rasheed Fatuga said: “When he was caught by some members of Onyabo, he was locked in an apartment for further interrogation. To their greatest amazement, the culprit had made an attempt to escape from the room by rubbing his body with black oil as he was also forcing the burglary on the window out.

    “With the foregoing, it was affirmed that he was a member of the dreaded group. They go about without weapons on them only to use any available weapon found in the homes of their supposed victims to brutally murder them. They usually rub oil on their body to grant them easy escape.

    “The angry crowd refused to release the culprit to the police because of the antecedent of security operatives, who released such culprits and they returned to vengefully massacre families.

    “While the security operatives were trying to gain entrance onto the scene, there were sporadic shootings which got three victims wounded and one was quickly rushed to hospital. This triggered the angry crowd to forcefully bring the suspect out. He was burnt to death.

    “We call on the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oba Kabir Adewale Shotobi, and other royal fathers to rise up and save the division from its current ugly name.”

    The Nation gathered that Police Commissioner Fatai Owoseni visited the scene and sued for peace. He appealed to the mob to avoid Jungle justice, saying he has personally taken over security in Ikorodu.

    Owoseni, the residents said, promised that members of the gang and their sponsors would be fished out. He urged them to report any suspected policeman to him via SMS.

  • Pandemonium in Mushin as stray bullet kills trader

    Pandemonium in Mushin as stray bullet kills trader

    A yam cake (Ojojo) trader was yesterday killed by stray bullet allegedly shot by officers from Olosan Police Station.
    The late Kudirat Adebayo, a mother of four, was murdered near the toll gate in Mushin.
    The incident occurred around 6pm at Ogunmokun/Toll gate area, Mushin, Lagos.
    The woman’s death led to fracas between the street boys and the officers.
    Many scampered for safety as police shot sporadically to disperse the street boys protesting the woman’s death.
    They stormed the police station on motorcycles.
    The Nation learnt that the officers were chasing a ‘Yahoo yahoo’ guy who ran through Ogunmokun/Toll gate areas on motorcycle and heading towards Onipanu.
    Policemen were said to have shot at him when it was impossible for them to nab him, but the bullet hit a woman selling yam cake (Ojojo) around Toll gate area.
    Angered by the officers’ action, the boys mobilised themselves and headed to the Olosan Police Station.
    Eyewitnesses said they were chased away with gun shots. About five of them were said to have sustained injuries.
    An eyewitness Seun Ojo said: “The boys regrouped and armed with broken bottles and headed back to the station to demand justice for the slain trader. Before they got to the station, the officers have called for reinforcement, who helped repelled the boys. Eight of them were arrested. They were seen at the station on kneels and raising their hands. Those injured were taken away for treatment.”
    Another eyewitness, who simply identified himself as Segun said the officers took the body of the slain woman away.
    “I don’t know where they (officers) took the body of the woman to. But they headed toward their station,” he said.
    According to him, the whole of Ogunmokun, Post Office Road, Toll gate, Onipanu, Abiodun Junction and Kumuyi areas are no go area as traders hurriedly lock their shops and residents went indoor.
    An Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) has been stationed on the Post Office Road as officers moving round the areas.
    The deceased’s elder sister Nimota Adebayo told The Nation last night that her sister’s remains have been deposited at Isolo General Hospital mortuary.
    “She was sitting with her goods and I was beside her. Immediately I entered the shop and came out, I heard gun shots. Bullet hit her head and she died instantly. The two policemen that shot are Prince and Charles. She sells Ojojo. It is not that she interfered or left her shop. Immediately the officers fled our area and shot at the people who followed them. One of them is a guy called Sabina who challenged them was shot at leg. He was rushed to hospital. The deceased body has been taken to Isolo Mortuary. We were just together discussing her make-up and teasing her about whether there was an event today. She is about 50 years.”

  • Stray bullet hits woman at Villa

    A STRAY bullet from a weapon of  a  security operative at the Administrative Reception of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday landed a female workers in hospital with injury.

    The woman was rushed to the State House Medical Centre in Asokoro after initial treatment at the medical centre within the Villa.

    She was still on admission at the State House Medical Centre in Asokoro at the time of filing this report.

    The security personnel involved in the incident was said to be trying to empty his weapon when it went off and injured him and the woman.

     

  • Military taskforce shoots man in Lagos

    Military taskforce shoots man in Lagos

    A stray bullet from an OP MESA van on Thursday hit one Ifeanyi Mmezi at Ijegun, a Lagos suburb, leaving him unconscious.
    It was gathered that Mmezi was rushed to Igando General Hospital, where doctors have been battling to resuscitate him.
    The Nation learnt that soldiers drafted to checkmate activities of militants and kidnappers at Ijedodo community, started shooting sporadically around 1pm.
    The victim was was alighting from a commercial bus, was said to have been hit by stray bullet on his left hand.
    A witness, Iya Modina said: “The soldiers were in their van driving through Ijegun Bus Stop, when they started shooting into the air. Before we knew it, a man who was alighting a commercial bus was hit by stray bullet. People scampered for safety and the soldiers just drove past.
    “Some people started making calls to alert the relevant agencies. A man picked the victim’s phone and called some contacts on it. But when his relatives arrived, he was already at the hospital.”
    Mmezi’s cousin, Wisdom Osimiri  said the victim was returning from work when the incident occurred.
    According to him, doctors might amputate his cousin’s arm once he’s revived.
    Osimiri said: “My cousin boarded a bus from Ikotun to Ijegun, only to be hit by a stray bullet from soldiers. He is unconscious as I speak. The doctors said they would transfer him.”

  • Stray bullet hits woman, 25, in Zaria 

    There was pandemonium in Zaria, Kaduna State, Wednesday evening when a 25-year-old mother of two, Maryam Abubakar, was hit by a stray bullet, allegedly from a police gun.

    It was gathered that the incident happened around Layin Sarki in Tudun-Wada when policemen and hoodlums exchanged gunfire.

    An eyewitness said the victim was hit in eight different places.

    Maryam’s husband, Malam Musa Bawa, said: “The incident happened on Wednesday evening at my mother in-law’s house in Layin Sarki, Tudun-Wada, about 6 pm.

    “My wife, her siblings and their relations usually converge on the house to celebrate Sallah. They were upstairs when policemen chased some thugs, who ran close to the house, and the next thing was that my wife slumped.

    “She was hit in eight different places, and was rushed to Almadina Hospital in Zaria hospital. As of now, she has taken four pints of blood,” he added.

    But police spokesperson, Aliyu Usman, who confirmed the incident, said Maryam was hit by local bullets.

    He said investigation showed that the act was not committed by the police.

    “Medical reports showed that the bullet removed is not ours. The woman was hit in eight different places by pellets emanating from either a dane gun or double barrel –  police don’t use gun powder,” he maintained.

    Usman, however, said investigation was on, and appealed to the people to assist with information that would lead to the arrest of perpetrators.

  • Man hit by stray bullet in Lagos community

    A stray bullet from an OP MESA van yesterday afternoon hit  Ifeanyi Mmezi at Ijegun, a Lagos suburb, leaving him unconscious.

    It was gathered that Mmezi was rushed to Igando General Hospital, where doctors are battling to resuscitate him.

    Soldiers drafted to checkmate activities of militants and kidnappers at Ijedodo were shooting sporadically around 1pm when Mmezi, who was alighting from a bus, was hit.

    A witness, Iya Modina, said: “The soldiers were in their van driving through Ijegun bus stop when they started shooting into the air. Before we knew it, a man who was alighting from commercial bus was hit.

    “People scampered to safety and the soldiers just drove off.

    “Some people started calling to alert the relevant agencies. A man picked the victim’s phone and called some contacts on it but when his relatives arrived, he was already at the hospital.”

    Mmezi’s cousin, Wisdom Osimiri, said the victim was returning from work when the incident occurred.

    According to him, doctors might amputate Mmezi’s arm once he is revived.

    “My cousin boarded a bus from Iktoun to Ijegun, only to be hit by a stray bullet from soldiers. He is unconscious as I speak. The doctors said they would transfer him today,” Osimiri said.

  • Stray bullet hits woman in Zaria 

    Stray bullet hits woman in Zaria 

    There was pandemonium in Zaria, Kaduna State Wednesday evening when 25 year-old mother of two, Maryam Abubakar was hit by stray bullet, allegedly from police gun.

    The Nation gathered that, the incident occurred around Layin Sarki in Tudun-Wada, Zaria, when police and some hoodlums were exchanging fire.

    Meanwhile, Kaduna State Police Command spokesman who confirmed the incident said, Maryam was not hit by police, but local bullets.

    Eyewitness said the victim who was hit in eight different places is recuperating at Almadina Hospital in GRA, Zaria.

    According to Maryam’s husband, Malam Musa Bawa who spoke to newsmen in Zaria on Thursday, “the incident happened at Hajiya Kaka Mai-Waina’s house, Layin Sarki, Tudun-Wada, Zaria.

    “The incident happened on Wednesday evening at about 6:00pm at my mother in-law’s residence, Hajiya Kaka Mai-Waina at Tudun-Wada.

    “Normally, during Sallah period, my wife, her siblings and some of their relations used to converge at the house to celebrate Sallah and use the period to see one another.

    “They were upstairs of the house when policemen chased some thugs who ran close to the house, only for those behind my wife to see her slump,” he said.

    Bawa said the victim was hit in eight different places and was rushed to the hospital for medical attention.

    “As I am talking to you, four pint of blood had been transfused into her because she lost lot of blood before the doctors came to her rescue,” he said.

    Meanwhile, when contacted, the spokesperson of Kaduna State Police Command, ASP Aliyu Usman confirmed the incident.

    He, however, said investigation shows that the act was not committed by the police, saying, “Medical report from the doctor attending to the victim indicates that the bullet removed is not our own.

    “The woman was hit in eight different places by pellets emanating from either den gun or double barrel. Remember, police don’t use gun powder,” he assured. 

    Usman assured that investigation was still ongoing and appealed to people in the area to assist the police with vital information that would lead to arrest of perpetrators of the act.