A 14-year-old girl was killed in Maiduguri when a stray bullet struck her during military celebratory gunfire, Amnesty International has reported. The incident occurred on May 29, 2024, around 4:30 PM in the Doron Baga area of the city, according to eyewitness accounts gathered by the human rights organisation. The girl, identified as Aisha Bello, was returning home from school when she was hit. Amnesty stated that soldiers from the 21 Armoured Brigade fired into the air to celebrate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's inauguration. Local residents confirmed hearing gunfire from the military base around that time. The organisation called for an immediate and transparent investigation into the incident. Amnesty also urged the military to enforce strict discipline to prevent future cases of celebratory gunfire. No military personnel have been charged in connection with the shooting.
Soldiers from the 21 Armoured Brigade fired bullets into the air to mark a presidential inauguration, and a schoolgirl paid with her life. When military personnel celebrate with live ammunition in populated areas, public safety becomes an afterthought. Aisha Bello's death underscores how routine acts of institutional recklessness can have fatal consequences for ordinary Nigerians. Accountability in such cases remains more exception than rule.
