Amnesty International has called on Nigerian authorities to launch an urgent investigation into what it described as the reckless use of firearms by military personnel, which resulted in the death of a 14-year-old girl in Maiduguri.
The tragic incident occurred on Saturday, April 4, when the secondary school student was fatally struck by a stray bullet while inside her home. Reports indicate that the गोली was allegedly fired by military personnel who were shooting into the air during a wedding celebration at a nearby event centre.
In a statement posted on its official X (formerly Twitter) account on Sunday, Amnesty International condemned the incident, describing the killing as avoidable and demanding accountability.
“The Nigerian authorities must investigate the reckless use of firearms by the military that killed a girl in Maiduguri, Borno State,” the organisation stated.
A family friend revealed that the victim was nowhere near the celebration at the time of the incident. She reportedly lived with her family in the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) quarters and was indoors when the bullet struck.
“She had just finished applying henna for her mother and herself, joyfully preparing for a family wedding scheduled for that same day,” the source said, highlighting the painful irony of the moment.
The teenager was laid to rest on Sunday morning at a cemetery in Maiduguri, as grieving family members and friends struggled to process the sudden loss.
Amnesty International emphasized that the incident underscores the dangers of unlawful or careless handling of firearms, especially in civilian areas. The organisation called for a transparent, impartial, and thorough investigation, insisting that anyone found responsible must be held accountable.
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