A 20-month-old child has tragically died in Umuoba-Uratta, Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State, after being struck by a stray bullet under mysterious circumstances.
The heartbreaking incident occurred around 10:00 pm on Monday night.
The child’s mother, Kelechi Eleweke, spoke to journalists in deep grief, describing the confusion and horror of the moment her son was hit.
“I heard a huge sound and felt a splash of sand-like objects on my body. This was followed by my son’s scream for help as he persistently shouted ‘mummy, mummy’; the next thing I saw was blood all over his body and the bed.”
In a desperate attempt to save him, Mrs Eleweke rushed outside with the injured boy to seek help. However, she said the first hospital they went to refused immediate treatment.
“The man, who appeared like a doctor, demanded a police report before treating my child,” she recounted tearfully.
Despite pleading with the hospital staff, the child received only minimal care.
“He ran a plaster around his head and asked them to take him to the Federal Medical Center (FMC), Owerri.”
The child’s father, Mr. Okechukwu, said he eventually found a vehicle to transport them to FMC.
The boy was still alive on the way there, he recalled.
“The boy was alive until we got to FMC gate. But getting into the emergency paediatric ward, the doctor on duty quickly examined him and pronounced him dead on arrival.”
The family remains baffled about the origin of the bullet.
Mr. Okechukwu said they learned the next morning that gunshots had been heard in the area the previous night.
“I didn’t know about the gunshots until this morning when my neighbours talked about them.”
“They said that some people were shooting around our area in the night. Whatever they were celebrating that led to my son’s death, we don’t know.”
Chika Ibeawuchi, a former youth leader in the community, expressed sadness over the tragedy and confirmed hearing prolonged gunfire that night.
“I don’t know anything about the shootings except that they lasted for more than 30 minutes.”
According to him, police officers from the Owerri North Divisional Headquarters arrived on Tuesday morning and took the baby’s body and the father in order to extract the bullet as part of their investigation.
He appealed to the authorities:
“The police must carry out a diligent investigation to unravel the circumstances that led to the death of the innocent child.”
Attempts by journalists to get an official response from DSP Henry Okoye, spokesperson for the state police, were unsuccessful.
He neither responded to calls nor replied to text messages.
However, a senior officer at the Owerri North Division, who requested anonymity, confirmed the incident and said the matter is being investigated.
