Teenager Dies After Landlord Shoots Him Over Stray Football in Owerri

• A 16-year-old student, Paul, died after being shot by a landlord while retrieving a stray football in Owerri, Imo State
• Despite undergoing surgery, he succumbed to his injuries, leaving his guardian and community devastated
• The landlord who fired the fatal gunshot has been arrested as investigations continue

A 16-year-old student, Paul, has tragically died after being shot by a landlord while attempting to retrieve a football that strayed into the property owner’s compound.

The incident occurred on Monday in the World Bank Housing area of Owerri, Imo State, and has left the community in shock.

Boy gunned after playing ball into man's compund

Paul, a Junior Secondary School (JSS) 1 student at Urban Secondary School in Area N, was playing football with his peers on the school field when the ball landed in the landlord’s premises.

In an effort to retrieve it, the teenager jumped over the school fence, an action that reportedly angered the property owner. The landlord allegedly shot Paul in the waist, causing severe injuries that led to his hospitalization.

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Despite undergoing surgery at the Specialist Hospital in Umuguma, Owerri, Paul succumbed to his injuries on Thursday afternoon.

His guardian, Mr. Jonathan Odikanwa, a septuagenarian who had cared for the teenager for over seven years, confirmed the heartbreaking news.

“He has passed away. My son has passed away. The doctors just said they lost him. Even after the surgery yesterday (Wednesday), we had been hopeful that he would come around. My boy, who had lived with me for over seven years, has passed on,” Odikanwa said in a voice filled with grief.

Paul died of gunshot complication despite surgery

Medical reports revealed that while an X-ray did not detect the bullet in Paul’s body, doctors discovered during surgery that his bowel movements were obstructed, necessitating the operation. Unfortunately, the procedure could not save his life.

The incident has sparked outrage in the community, with many questioning the landlord’s use of lethal force over a minor incident.

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The Imo State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of the property owner. DSP Henry Okoye, the Police Public Relations Officer, stated that investigations are ongoing and that the suspect will face the full weight of the law.

Paul’s death has left a void in the lives of those who knew him. Described as a bright and promising young boy, he had been under the care of the Odikanwa family for nearly eight years, during which he began his education.

Police seal church over killing of LASU graduate

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command had sealed a church over the alleged killing of a 28-year-old graduate of Lagos State University (LASU), Adedamola Ogunbode.

Legit.ng earlier reported that Ogunbode was killed weeks before the 28th Convocation Ceremony of the institution set for April 3–10, 2025.

Source: Legit.ng