Teenage boy dies after pulling trigger of loaded gun 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 on Sunday, saying the gun belonged to a 35-year-old hunter, Suleiman Hamza.

Habib said Hamza had returned from a hunting trip and left the loaded weapon unsecured in his room before stepping out.

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

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

The police spokesperson said the boy’s remains were released to his family for burial after a post-mortem examination and necessary documentation in line with Islamic rites.

He added that Hamza had been arrested and that the case was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation after preliminary inquiries.

Reacting to the incident, Bauchi State Commissioner of Police, CP Sani-Omolori Aliyu, described the teenager’s death as unfortunate and preventable.

He cautioned hunters and licensed firearm owners in the state to handle weapons responsibly and ensure firearms are kept away from children.

Meanwhile, the police command also disclosed that it foiled an armed robbery operation along the Kajala-Kere road on the outskirts of Burra and recovered two stolen Bajaj motorcycles.

Habib said the robbery occurred around 9:45pm on Saturday when a gang armed with cutlasses and sticks blocked the road and attacked residents of Kere village.

The suspects allegedly dispossessed the victims of two Bajaj motorcycles, two Android phones and a power bank before fleeing.

Following a distress report, police officers from the Burra Division and local vigilantes were mobilised to the area.

The suspects reportedly escaped into a nearby bush after sighting security operatives, abandoning the stolen motorcycles, which were recovered.

The police said efforts were ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspects and recover the remaining stolen items.

Dear Vows