A peaceful evening turned into a nightmare for the Eleweke family after a 20-month-old child was killed by a stray bullet under unclear circumstances in Umuoba-Uratta, a quiet community in Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State.
The toddler, Emmanuel Eleweke, was reportedly lying beside his mother at home when an unknown bullet struck him late Monday night. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the shot rang out around 10 p.m., leaving residents stunned and confused about who fired it and why.
Speaking to NAN, the child’s mother, Kelechi Eleweke, gave an emotional account of the moments leading to the tragedy.
“I was with him yesterday night on my bed after dinner and night prayer,” she said. “And one of my prayer points was that his father will not die prematurely. My son answered Amen.”
She continued, “We got playing until he lay on my body to sleep. Suddenly, he rolled down and lay on the bed. A few seconds later, I heard a loud sound and felt something like sand scatter across my body. Then he screamed, ‘mummy, mummy.’ The next thing I saw was blood everywhere — on him and on the bed.”
Kelechi said they rushed him to a nearby hospital, but the medical personnel insisted on a police report before offering full attention.
“A man, who said he was a doctor, only wrapped a bandage around his head and told us to take him to the Federal Medical Centre,” she said, adding that she ran home to dress properly while her husband continued the journey with their son.
The boy’s father, Okechukwu Eleweke, confirmed that his son was still alive during the trip to the hospital. But by the time they reached the emergency paediatric ward at the Federal Medical Centre in Owerri, the worst had happened.
“The doctor examined him and pronounced him dead on arrival,” he said.
The family is still searching for answers. While the source of the bullet remains unknown, community members later told them that gunfire was heard in the area during the night.
“I didn’t hear anything at the time,” Okechukwu said. “It was on Tuesday morning that our neighbours said there were sporadic shootings in the night. Whatever they were celebrating that caused my son’s death, we don’t know.”
The tragedy has sparked grief and concern across the community. A former youth leader in Umuoba-Uratta, Chika Ibeawuchi, expressed sorrow over the incident.
“This is a tragedy. It has never happened before in this community,” he said. “The shootings lasted for more than 30 minutes. We don’t know who was firing or why.”
He confirmed that police officers from the Owerri North Divisional Headquarters visited the scene on Tuesday and took the child’s remains, along with his father, to retrieve the bullet.
He urged the police to uncover the truth and ensure those responsible are brought to justice.
Although Imo State Police spokesperson Henry Okoye did not respond to phone calls and text messages regarding the matter, a senior officer at the Owerri North division, who requested anonymity, confirmed that investigations were ongoing.
