CHECKPOINT HORROR: POLICE INSPECTOR SH%%TS 7-YEAR-OLD CHILD INSIDE FAMILY CAR

A seven-year-old boy has been injured after a police officer allegedly discharged a firearm during a stop-and-search operation along Abak Road in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, while the child was inside a vehicle with his parents.

The incident, which occurred on September 11, 2026, has triggered renewed concerns over the use of firearms at police checkpoints and the safety of innocent civilians during routine security operations.

The Akwa Ibom State Police Command said it has arrested, disarmed and detained Inspector Monday Okonta, the officer allegedly involved in the shooting, pending the outcome of an investigation.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Timfon John, the incident occurred at about 9:30 p.m. when police personnel attached to the Quick Response Squad were conducting a routine stop-and-search operation along Abak Road.

The command said preliminary information indicated that officers stopped a vehicle conveying members of a family.

“During the encounter, a smoke pistol was discharged by one of the officers, resulting in an injury to the left hand of a seven-year-old boy who was inside the vehicle,” the police statement said.

The child was subsequently taken to a hospital for medical attention.

Officer Disarmed, Detained at SCID

Following the incident, Commissioner of Police Baba Mohammed Azare ordered the immediate identification, disarming and detention of Inspector Okonta at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Uyo.

The command said the officer would remain in custody while a “thorough and impartial investigation” is conducted to establish exactly what transpired at the checkpoint.

The Commissioner also personally visited the injured child at the hospital and met with the family.

According to the police spokesperson, Azare assessed the condition of the child and assured the family that the incident would be thoroughly investigated.

Another Checkpoint Shooting Raises Accountability Questions

The incident has once again placed the conduct of police personnel at checkpoints under scrutiny, particularly where firearms are discharged in situations involving unarmed civilians.

For the family involved, what began as an ordinary journey through Uyo allegedly ended with their seven-year-old child sustaining a gunshot injury.

The development also raises a broader question about the circumstances under which police officers resort to firearms during routine stop-and-search operations—and whether adequate safeguards are in place to prevent innocent passengers from becoming victims.

While the police command’s decision to arrest and detain the officer represents an immediate response, the central issue now is whether the investigation will lead to transparent accountability and appropriate disciplinary or legal action, depending on its findings.

The case is therefore being closely watched as the Akwa Ibom State Police Command proceeds with its investigation.

For many Nigerians, the incident is yet another reminder that checkpoints intended to provide security must not become places where ordinary citizens fear for their lives or where children travelling with their parents can be caught in the line of police gunfire.

The police have yet to publicly disclose the full circumstances surrounding the firearm discharge or explain precisely how the weapon was fired.

The investigation is expected to establish the sequence of events, determine responsibility and guide whatever further action is warranted.