A police inspector, Aminu Ibrahim, serving with the Kano State Command, has died after being struck by a bullet from his rifle while on duty in the Hotoro area of the state.
The incident, which occurred on Saturday, was confirmed by a police source who said Ibrahim had been attached to a company in the area when tragedy struck.
“Inspector Ibrahim was attached to a company in Hotoro, and he was on duty on Saturday when the incident happened. Staff members of the company said he had gone to the toilet and, in the process of squatting, the rifle he was holding accidentally discharged a bullet in his bowels, and he died on the spot,” the source disclosed.
The rifle, with registration number GT 4177, was later recovered in a cocked position with one empty shell. “The rifle, with registration number GT 4177, was recovered cocked and unsafe, alongside an empty shell. Twenty-nine rounds of ammunition were accounted for against the 30 earlier issued to him,” security expert Zagazola Makama posted on X. He added that the officer was taken to the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, where he was confirmed dead, and his remains deposited for autopsy.
Reacting, the spokesperson for the Kano State Police Command, Haruna Abdulahi, said: “I can’t give you details on it now. The CP will address a press briefing tomorrow where the incident and other activities in the state will be made known.”
The tragedy has renewed calls from security experts for regular retraining of operatives on firearm handling and safety to curb avoidable deaths.