This reporter writes on the circumstances surrounding the death of a secondary school boy shot while playing football in Owerri
When 16- year- old Paul Victor left home for school on Monday, March 17, neither him, his over 70 -year- old father by name Jonathan Odikanwa, and siblings knew he won’t return alive. He had gone to school that faithful day with the intentions to learn and to prepare for the school’s Inter House Sports Football Competition final slated for March 28, little did him nor his family members knew that his life would be cut short that day.
When he arrived his school, Urban Development Secondary School located at area N, World Bank area of Owerri, Imo state, little did his teachers, classmates and school mates knew that death was lurking for the teenager whose mother is late and hailed from Umudim community in the Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo state that was his last day in the school.
When he entered the school’s playground to train for the school’s Inter House Sports Football Competition final match the next week’s Thursday, Victor didn’t know he won’t be alive to join his mates to slug it out for the ultimate prize.
Victor’s story is that of a promising lad cut off in his prime. While he was playing football with his playmates in the school compound, their football fell into a neighbor’s compound whom the police in the state had identified as Donald Mbamah, 64, year old lawyer based in Owerri, who also runs a private school in the neighborhood.
Victor with the help of his mates had climbed on top the fence of the school to retrieve the football from the lawyer’s compound so that the football practice ahead of the inter house sports football competition final showdown, was allegedly shot by Mbamah, who has been arrested and his cooling his heels at State Criminal Investigation Department of the police in Owerri.
The security officer of the school, Elisha Ogbu who narrated what happened to this reporter, said that the deceased didn’t jump into the suspect’s compound rather was on top of the fence which belongs to the school begging the suspect to give him the ball which had fallen into his compound so that him and his mates would continue their football training session.
“The security man said that instead of the owner of the compound to give the boy the ball, he allegedly went into his room, brought out a gun and shot the harmless boy who was in his school uniform, on top the fence belonging to the school in a broad daylight.
The school security man “
said ” the boy was playing football with his mates and their football fell into a neighbor’s compound. The boy climbed on top of the fence of the school and from their he was begging the man to please give him the ball.
“Instead of the man to give the boy the ball so that the children will continue their football training ahead of their inter house sports football final match next Thursday, the man went inside his house and brought out a gun. On seeing the gun, the boy turned but the man shot him two times in his buttocks.
“You can see the blood stains here. The boy was rushed to a hospital and he died on Thursday. The man has been threatening students, teachers and principal of the school. He never releases any ball that went into his compound.”
Victor was rushed to the nearby Imo state Specialists Hospital in Umuguma in Owerri. Medical diagnosis was cried out on him and he was booked for surgery but unfortunately he died three days later.
The death of the teenage school boy had elicited reactions and condemnations from the members of the public.
His father, Odikanwa in an interview said that he was saddened by the death of his son. He said that his son who loved football had desired to become a business man in the future.
His distraught father said “The incident happened on Monday. I was at home between 1.30pm and 2pm when some people came to my house and introduced themselves as teachers and students of Urban Development Secondary School.
“They told me that my son had a problem. When I asked them what kind of problem it was, they were hesitant about what they wanted to say. But I insisted that they tell me exactly what happened.
“They said that my son and other students were playing football when their ball went into a neighbour’s compound. My son climbed the fence with the help of other students to retrieve the ball.
“In the process, they heard a gunshot, and my son fell from the fence. The other students rushed to where he had fallen. It was then that they noticed he had a bullet wound, and there was blood all over his body. They immediately rushed him to the hospital, and the matter was reported to the school management.
“I went to the hospital, where I met some of the teachers and other staff members of the school. After that, we went to the police station. It was at the police station that I met the man in question.
“The police organised a meeting between me and the man. The purpose of the meeting was for him to narrate exactly what happened. He tried to deny it, but it was clear that he shot the boy because the students who were there also gave statements at the police station, confirming that he shot the gun.
“Moreover, after shooting the boy, he fired more gunshots sporadically into the air, which indicated that it was deliberate. That was what I was told.”
To collaborate what the school security man said, the septuagenarian father of the deceased said that the suspect denied shooting the boy.
He said “the man denied shooting my son. He claimed that he only frightened him and used a polythene bag to make a noise that sounded like a gunshot before my son fell from the fence.
“The man also said that while my son fell, a stick on the ground caused an injury to him. But that was a lie because the position of the wound on my son’s buttocks showed that something had pierced through from one side to the other.
“I told him that he should pray for my son to recover. That was my only concern – that my son would get better.
“The school authorities were marvelous. Since the school was in session, they immediately took him and rushed him to the hospital.
“The police were alerted, and even before my son arrived at the hospital, policemen were already there. They tried to handle the situation.
“The hospital requested an X-ray, which I paid for. They also conducted a scan, and the report was handed over to the police. But my son continued to feel pain, so the hospital requested another X-ray to check if there were any other injuries.
“After that, they were not satisfied with the results and asked me to take him to another laboratory for further examination. They conducted a scan and a chest X-ray, and we returned the results to the hospital.
“They said they would check his abdomen to see if he had sustained any internal injuries when he fell. On Wednesday, they took him into surgery, and they said he had a cut in his intestine.”
Speaking further he said “I am not a medical expert, but given the height of the wall, if someone falls from it, it could damage their spinal cord, bones, or any part of the body. The impact could cause internal injuries. Also, my son lost a lot of blood.”
Speaking of there is any plan for an autopsy to be carried out on the deceased, he said “it is now a police matter, and the government is involved. The school authorities and the State Education Management Board are handling it, and even the Imo State Commissioner for Health has contacted me.
“They assured me that they are looking into my son’s case, and after he was pronounced dead, I informed the Commissioner for Health about the development. I believe that since it is a police matter, an autopsy will be carried out.
“I understand that the matter was transferred from the police station to the Homicide Unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department, on the order of the state Commissioner for Education or a higher authority. I can’t say for certain, as I am not involved in those details.”
Describing what his son wanted to be, he said “he was a very good boy when he was alive. He was intelligent, respectful, and loved football. Even at his young age, he had football boots and was passionate about the game.
“His plan was to continue his education and possibly learn a trade. After completing his West African Senior School Certificate Examination, he had an interest in learning a trade, either after his basic education or further studies.”
He said that the action of the suspect could beat be described as animalistic. “I can’t imagine anyone, especially someone who is about 65 years old, acting in such a way. I feel pain that my son was shot just for going to retrieve a ball from a man’s compound.He said
Reacting to the development, the police in the state, said it would arraign the suspect at the conclusion of the investigation.
A statement issued by Henry Okoye, spokesperson for the police in the state, read”the Imo State Police Command has arrested Barrister Donald Mbamah, a 64-year-old man, in connection with the shooting of a 16-year-old student, Paul Victor, on March 17, 2025.
“The incident occurred at approximately 12:34 PM at Mbamah’s residence located at Area N, World Bank, New-Owerri. The victim, a student of Urban Development Secondary School, was allegedly shot in the buttocks under circumstances that are still under investigation.
“Police operatives from the New Owerri Division, led by the DPO, swiftly responded to a distress call from a concerned neighbor who heard the gunshot.
“They arrived at the scene, apprehended the suspect, and rushed the victim, Paul Victor, General Hospital, Umuguma for treatment. Despite efforts to save him, the victim was confirmed dead on March 20, 2025.
“Following the incident, Barrister Donald Mbamah was transferred to the State Criminal Investigations Department (CID) for questioning. A thorough investigation is ongoing, and the police are working to recover the alleged firearm used in the shooting. Photographs were also taken at the crime scene as part of the investigation.
“The Imo State Police Command expresses its condolences to the family and friends of the deceased and assures the public that justice will be pursued to the fullest extent of the law.
“The suspect will be arraigned in court once investigations are completed and sufficient evidence is gathered.
“The Command also call on the public to refrain from taking laws into their hands and allow the police and relevant authorities to handle the matter through legal means.”
Good enough that the police have announced that the matter would be charged to court. The onus now lies with the judiciary to dispense nothing but justice in the case so that the soul of this innocent boy killed in his prime will rest in peace.
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