A 16-year-old student of Urban Secondary School, Owerri, identified as Paul, has died following a gunshot wound inflicted by a landlord after he entered the man’s compound to retrieve a football.
According to The PUNCH, Paul, who was shot in the waist on Monday, succumbed to his injuries on Thursday afternoon at the Specialist Hospital, Umuguma, Owerri. His guardian, Mr. Jonathan Odikanwa, confirmed the tragic development.
“He has passed away. My son has passed away,” Odikanwa lamented. “Even after the surgery, we were hopeful he would recover, but the doctors just told us they lost him.”
The incident occurred in the World Bank Housing Estate area of Owerri, where Paul, a Junior Secondary School 1 student, had climbed over his school fence to retrieve the ball. The unidentified property owner, angered by the act, shot the teenager, leaving him critically injured.
Medical professionals at the hospital initially struggled to locate the bullet via X-ray scans. However, they proceeded with surgery after detecting that Paul’s bowel movements were obstructed. Despite their efforts, the student did not survive.
Paul had been living with the Odikanwa family for about eight years and had considered them his guardians.
The spokesperson for the Imo State Police Command, DSP Henry Okoye, confirmed the incident, stating that the suspect had been apprehended.
“The landlord who shot the teenager has been arrested,” Okoye said, assuring that the police are handling the case.
