The Amnesty International Nigeria has called on Nigerian authorities to investigate the alleged reckless use of firearms by military personnel that led to the death of a 14-year-old girl in Maiduguri.
In a statement on Sunday, the organisation said the secondary school student was killed on Saturday, April 4, after she was hit by a stray bullet while inside her home.
According to Amnesty International, the fatal shot was reportedly fired by soldiers engaged in celebratory gunfire during a wedding ceremony at a nearby event centre.
A family friend of the deceased recounted that the girl was in high spirits shortly before the incident.
“She lived in the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital quarters with her family and was inside her home when the tragedy occurred. She had just finished applying henna for her mother and herself, joyfully preparing for a family wedding scheduled for that same day,” the source said.
The victim has since been buried, with her funeral held on Sunday at the Maiduguri cemetery.
Amnesty International described the incident as preventable, noting that the family and friends of the deceased are left seeking answers.
The organisation called for a transparent, impartial and thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting, stressing the need to safeguard civilian lives and ensure accountability.
It urged authorities to take necessary measures to prevent a recurrence of such incidents, particularly the misuse of firearms by security personnel during non-operational activities.
