Tragedy struck at the riverside town of Otuan in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State on Friday as the community was thrown into confusion when a 10-year-old boy accidentally killed his friend, aged 12 with his grandfather’s gun.
It was learned that the father of the deceased said to be a pastor and his grandfather who owns the gun were not in town when the incident occurred at the fishing and farming settlement shortly after the deceased, his sister and friend returned from the bush where they had gone to pick Bush mango otherwise known as ‘Ogbono’.
A community source who spoke anonymously told our correspondent that the girl sent the brother to fetch a cutlass from their father’s room for her to split open the bush mango.
The friend who was said to have joined in going to get the cutlass stumbled on the gun where it was hidden.
He picked up the weapon and trained it on the deceased when the unexpected happened.
“As the deceased shouted at the friend to drop the gun, it fired, hitting him.
“The fatally injured boy was rushed to a nearby chemist in the community, accompanied by his heartbroken friend who was wailing when somebody whispered to him to run for his life,” the source explained.
Contacted the Spokesman of the state police command, Asinim Butswat said, “It has not been reported to the police yet, but we will find out if such an incident happened.”
Vanguard