Outcry as Stray Bullet from Soldiers’ Wedding Gunfire Kills Maiduguri Teen

A teenage girl has lost her life after a stray bullet, allegedly fired by soldiers during celebratory gunfire at a wedding, struck her in Maiduguri, Borno State.

The victim, a 14-year-old secondary school student, was reportedly inside her home on Saturday, April 4, when the bullet hit her. The gunfire was said to have come from military personnel celebrating at a nearby event centre.

Amnesty International condemned the incident, calling for an investigation into what it termed the reckless use of firearms that led to the young girl’s death.

According to a family friend, the teenager had been preparing to attend the same wedding before tragedy struck.

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

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

The rights group described the killing as preventable and insisted that authorities must ensure accountability. It added that the girl was laid to rest on Sunday at the Maiduguri graveyard, with her family and friends left “seeking answers for a death that was entirely preventable.”

Amnesty International called for a “transparent, impartial and effective investigation,” emphasizing the need to protect lives and avoid a repeat of such incidents.

It also cautioned that the persistent misuse of firearms in civilian environments remains a serious threat that requires firm action and enforcement.

Africans Angle News