Owerri: Proprietor Shots 13 Years JSS 1 Student To D3ath For Jumping Into His Compound To Retrieve Ball

According to Punch on March 23, tension gripped Owerri, Imo State, following the shocking killing of a 13-year-old JSS 1 student from Urban Secondary School. The young boy was allegedly shot on Monday, March 17, 2025, after climbing a fence to retrieve a football during a school game.

The accused, identified as Barrister Donatus, the proprietor of Par Excellence School, allegedly fired at the student with a pump-action shotgun, hitting him in the leg and buttocks. Despite being rushed to Specialist Hospital Umuguma, he succumbed to his injuries on Thursday, March 20, leaving the community in mourning.

Eyewitnesses recount that the boy pleaded for mercy before he was shot

“He was just playing when the ball went over. He begged, but the man shot him twice,” a distraught student shared.

Outraged by the incident, students from Urban Secondary School stormed Par Excellence School, damaging property and setting parts of it on fire in protest. Videos circulating online show the destruction, with posts demanding justice for the victim.

Authorities confirmed that Donatus was arrested on March 18, but many believe justice is long overdue. The boy’s guardian, 70-year-old Jonathan Odikanwa, expressed his devastation, stating, 

“He was just a child chasing a ball.”

The incident has sparked widespread outrage, with #JusticeForPaul trending as Nigerians demand accountability. Many question why a minor incident escalated into a fatal shooting and are calling for a thorough investigation.

Police assure that the suspect will face legal consequences, but anger and grief continue to fuel protests in Owerri.

This tragic incident among others brings to bear the security challenges bedeviling Imo State, South-East and Nigeria by extension.

The growing insecurity posing a fundamental obstacle to much anticipated socioeconomic transformation in the nation calls for prompt collaboration between the security Agencies, Media Organizations and general populace in providing adequate information for actions to tame the ugly tide.

Cc: Punch Newspaper.