Stray bullets from army shooting range hit two residents in Ibadan

Stray bullets from the shooting range of the 2 Division Nigeria Army Odogbo, Ibadan, allegedly injured two persons at Arulogun area in Akinyele local council of the state yesterday morning.

It was gathered that one of the victims, a 10-year-old boy identified as Daniel is the child of a food vendor in the area.

The bullet was said to have hit his upper arm while the second person, Baba Ajeri, was hit at the back.

The Guardian gathered that the two victims were rushed to the clinic at the barracks and were responding to treatment.

It was also learnt that residents had been complaining that bullets from the shooting range were endangering their lives and destroying their houses.

A resident of the area, Alhaji Kazeem Ijeru, said the two victims did not die but the bullet, which hit Ajeri was yet to be extracted.

He said: “They have started again. We have been going through this for years. They started again yesterday and it was very bad last night.

“Everybody stayed indoors and we all laid down flat to avoid being hit by bullets right inside out homes. The shooting continued this morning and unfortunately, two persons were hit.

“They have been rushed to the hospital in the barracks. The bullets, which hit Baba Ajeri, have not been removed but Daniel is lucky. I was told the one that hit him has been extracted.

“We have staged protests; we have complained to the Army on many occasions but the situation has not changed.”

Another resident, Tola Ayoola, said the constant shooting from the barracks had forced some landlords to sell their property and relocate to a safe location.

The officer in charge of public communication at 2 Division Nigeria Army, Lt. Col. Charles Ekeocha, could not be reached on the phone for comment as at the time of filing this report.