Paul, the 16-year-old teenager shot by an irate landlord for trying to retrieve a ball in Owerri, has died, 24 hours after surgery to save his life.
Paul, a student of Urban Secondary School in Area N, a World Bank housing area in Owerri, jumped over his school fence on Monday to retrieve a ball that had entered another person‘s premises.
However, the property owner allegedly got offended and shot Paul by his waist, leaving him to battle for his life at the hospital.
Paul‘s guardian, Mr Jonathan Odikanwa told LEADERSHIP yesterday that the boy passed away barely minutes before.
Odikanwa said, “Paul has passed; my son has passed away. The doctors just pronounced him dead. They said we lost him. Even after the surgery yesterday (Wednesday), we have been hopeful that he will come around. My boy, who has lived with me for over seven years, has passed on“, he said in a pained voice.
According to him, the x-ray didn‘t show the bullet in the body. Still, doctors at the Umuguma Specialist Hospital Owerri had to operate on Paul when it was discovered that his bowel movements were impeded even as he wriggled in pain when this reporter visited the hospital on Wednesday.
Paul‘s guardian, Odikanwa had on Wednesday appealed for prayers from people for the recovery of his ward as he was being wheeled into the theatre to find out why his bowel movements were impeded.
Police Public Relations Officer for Imo State Police Command, DSP Henry Okoye had confirmed the incident and the arrest of the landlord who shot the teenager.
Okoye said, “Yes, the man has been arrested, and the investigation is ongoing. The victim is currently receiving treatment at the hospital“.
