A private
nursery and primary school in the Ajobo area of Ibadan stopped its third term
examination after a bullet allegedly fired from the 2 Division, Nigerian Army,
Adekunle Fajuyi Cantonment, Ibadan, Oyo State, hits a nursery one pupil in the
classroom.
It was
gathered that parents quickly rushed to the school after the incident happened
to take their children home.
An employee
of the school, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the pupil was sitting
for the examination when the bullet pierced through the roof and hit him on the
head. He said the victim was rushed to a nearby military hospital.
He said,
“Expended bullets were picked on the school premises; they came in through the
roof. This is the first time such an incident would be recorded since the
school began operation in 2011.
“The shot was fired from the shooting range of
the cantonment. We are aware that a shooting training is going on. We are also
aware that for a few years, such exercise was done somewhere else after
residents complained that bullets from the exercise harmed them.
“We called
the attention of the military to the incident and they came to see the holes in
the roof and blood in the classroom.”
Our correspondent
observed bullet holes in the ceiling and on the wall. Also, there was blood on
the floor of the classroom where the pupil was hit.
Deputy
Director, Army Public Relations of the division, Col. Ezindu Idima, said the
range was on the premises of the division, adding that the General Officer
Commanding, Maj. Gen. Chukwunedum Abraham, had ordered investigation into the
incident.
He said,
“The 2017 annual range classification started in the division on July 10, 2017,
and the exercise will end on July 17, 2017. The range we use is located within
the barracks; we did not start using the range today (Wednesday). Before the
commencement of the exercise, we informed communities around about the exercise
and advised them to steer clear of the range area.
“The
distance between the range and the nearest community is about 2,000 metres. The
effective range of the weapons we are using is about 300 metres. I don’t know
how bullets will go beyond 2,000 meters to the extent of destroying lives and
property. The GOC has, however, ordered investigation into the matter.”
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