13-year-old boy dies in accidental shooting in Bauchi

A 13-year-old boy, Mubarak Mohd, has died after accidentally shooting himself with a loaded dane gun in Udubo village, Gamawa Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

The incident occurred on Saturday, September 5, at about 4:30pm, according to the Bauchi State Police Command.

The command’s spokesperson, SP Nafiu Habib, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday.

Habib said the gun belonged to a 35-year-old hunter, Suleiman Hamza, who had returned from a hunting trip and left the loaded weapon unsecured in his room before stepping out.

According to him, Mubarak entered the room and pulled the trigger, causing the gun to discharge and inflict fatal injuries on him.

He said detectives from the Gamawa Divisional Police Headquarters rushed to the scene and evacuated the boy to the General Hospital, Gamawa, where a medical doctor confirmed him dead.

Habib added that after a post-mortem examination and documentation, the deceased’s remains were released to his family for burial in accordance with Islamic rites.

The police spokesperson said Hamza had been arrested and, following preliminary investigation, the case transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.

Meanwhile, the command said it had foiled an armed robbery along the Kajala-Kere road on the outskirts of Burra and recovered two Bajaj motorcycles stolen by the suspects.

Habib said the incident occurred at about 9:45pm on Saturday when a gang armed with cutlasses and sticks blocked the road and intercepted Ado and three other male residents of Kere village.

He said the suspects dispossessed the victims of two Bajaj motorcycles, two Android phones and a power bank.

According to him, upon receiving the report, a combined team of police officers from the Burra Division and local vigilantes was mobilised to the scene.

He said the suspects fled into the surrounding bush on sighting the security operatives, abandoning the stolen motorcycles, which were subsequently recovered.

The police said operatives were continuing to search the area for the fleeing suspects and the remaining stolen items.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Sani-Omolori Aliyu, commended the prompt response of the security personnel that disrupted the robbery.

He also expressed sadness over the death of the teenager, describing it as preventable, and cautioned hunters and licensed firearm owners in the state to handle weapons responsibly and keep them out of the reach of children.

The command reiterated its commitment to protecting lives and property and urged residents to provide security agencies with timely and credible information.