Lived for only five minutes in 2026: A’Ibom teenager shot dead by soldier during crossover night

13-year-old Timothy Daniel Monday journeyed with parents and siblings to enjoy 2025 Christmas holidays in Ette, their hometown in Ikot Abasi Local Government Area (LGA) of Akwa Ibom State.

Timothy had looked forward to an entertaining crossover into 2026 and a return to resumption in his JSS-2 Class at Bensona International School, Borokiri in their Port Harcourt, Rivers State base

He did make the crossover at the Mount Zion Church, Ette. But he lived for just five minutes of 2026. A trigger-happy soldier blew open his head with his rifle.

He died instantly, his brain splattered in pool of blood.  Over a week after, the nonchalance attitude of key stakeholders to the plight of the immediate family and the Ikot Abasi community where the ugly incident happened is stirring tension with civil society expressing disappointment.

The Nigerian Army that confirmed the incident happened and investigations ongoing are taking, God knows, how long to come up with findings as the suspect remains unnamed and shielded.

The soldier who shot Timothy is among military guards watching over Sterling Petrochemical and Fertilizer Limited (SPFL) Chinese staff quarters in Ette. The quarters share fence with the Mount Zion Church the Daniels had attended the crossover.

The oil and gas firm, better known as Sterling Global, at press time, was yet to reach out to the bereaved family or make any official statement on the situation.

Social justice advocacy group, the Niger Delta Peace Coalition (NDPC), is bitter with Governor Umo Eno for perceived insensitivity to the grieving family and the community mourning.

Tragic Drama

 Rights activist, Inebehe Effiong, had a close encounter with Miss Miracle Daniel Monday, Timothy’s elder sister whose brush with the soldier resulted in the shooting.

Effiong shared Miracle’s account.

“Timothy was murdered by a trigger-happy Army personnel on January 1, 2026”, the activist narrated.

“The sister (Miracle), an eye witness to the tragedy, informed that she and family members attended a crossover service at Mount Zion Church, Ette.

“During the service, Miracle stepped out with siblings to urinate and were accosted by soldiers deployed to protect Sterling Oil Exploration & Energy Production Company Ltd, popularly known as Sterling Global, a major indigenous oil & gas firm.

“According to Miracle, she told the soldiers to hold on for her to finish urinating, but her innocuous comment infuriated one of the soldiers who felt challenged. The soldier then pushed her to the ground. 

“When she asked him why he pushed her, the soldier became more infuriated, then slapped her, and also assaulted her sister. Another soldier intervened, apologized to the two sisters and asked them to leave. 

“As they were leaving, they heard gunshots. It turned out same soldier who had assaulted them had opened fire and killed Timothy instantly. The photos shared too graphic. His brain was shattered.

The family reported the case to the Nigerian Army Cantonment 6 Battalion Wellington Basi Barracks, Ibagwa, Abak LGA. The case was also reported to the Police.

“I called Miracle this morning, she confirmed that till this moment, Sterling Global has not deemed it fit to contact or visit the grieving family.”

 We’re Disappointed in Gov Eno — NDPC

 Reflecting on the development, Zik Gbemre, Coordinator, NDPC, noted, “It’s such a shame that such a tragedy happens and a state’s chief executive, self-styled compassionate governor and the LG chairman where the incident occurred are unfeeling, mute, nearly two week after.

“If a civilian shoots an individual, not to talk of a soldier being the assailant, in the US, President Donald Trump and the state governor would immediately move in to commiserate with the bereaved family and monitor investigations to bring the culprit to book.

But here in Akwa Ibom, Eno is busy appointing APC Congress Committee and hyping implementation of TSA in Akwa Ibom like it’s the only solution to all his leadership flaws. 

“But if the innocent 13-year-old so murdered by depraved soldier were the son of his political associate or godfather, Eno would have been among first callers to sign condolence register and shed tears.

 “The Ikot Abasi tragedy again cast a huge question mark on Eno’s brand of compass.

“NDPC is happy for beneficiaries of his random giveaways at the expense of the state’s treasury, but we dare say genuine compassion should not only be about playing Father Christmas with government money for self-glorification.

“There is no reason a depraved soldier engaged as private guard over expatriates staff of a private firm in Akwa Ibom would gruesomely murder an unarmed 13-year-old Akwa Ibomite and a governor would keep mum, unfeeling about the plight of the bereaved family.

As we heard from the community leaders, this the second youth the community is losing to army brutality in less than two years. It’s the indifference being displayed by the governor that encourages the impunity.”

Army Shields Suspect?

Army Public Relations Officer, APPRO, 2 Brigade, Mbiokporo, Captain Lawal Bala Mohamed, confirmed ‘’the incidence has been handled by the Military Police and is already under investigation’’

Coming days after the shooting, nothing else meaningful has been heard from the authorities, the identity of Timothy shooter still tightly shielded.

Gbemre said, “This is common attitude. If it were the Army that lost its man to such brutal death, a battalion would have invaded that community and leave in its wake deaths, destruction and indiscriminate arrest with suspects publicly paraded in swift jungle justice. 

Now that a soldier kills a little boy for no just cause, investigation will be so tardy for a clear murder till nothing will be heard of the case anymore.”

President General of Mboho Ukpum Ette, in an outcry through the community Secretary, Patrick Udoma, expressed, “dissatisfaction on the unprofessional manner the Army guards at Sterling Petrochemicals unleash mayhem on citizens of Ukpum Ete. “The murder of our innocent son in the early hours of January 1, 2026, has thrown the family and the clan into mourning. This act of terrorism is unaccepted by the people of Ukpum Ette clan”, Udoma said.

Call for Justice for Timothy

 Effiong is calling on, “The Minister of Defence, Chief of Army Staff, the General Officer Commanding (G.O.C.) 6 Battalion, Ibagwa, and the Akwa Ibom State government to intervene in this case, ensure that the culprit is court-martialed for murder, and the family adequately compensated. “The nonchalant attitude of Sterling Global to this case, like in many other cases, is despicable and unacceptable.

“No Nigerian should be killed in this manner by those who are supposed to protect them. “The pain that this family has been subjected to is unimaginable. They live in Port Harcourt, and only went home for the holidays.

Section 33 of the Nigerian Constitution guarantees the right to life. No one should be deprived of this scared right, except in strict compliance with the manner set by the Constitution.”

Gbemre, for his part, concluded, “There couldn’t be a better time for Eno to demonstrate his compassion. Timothy didn’t deserve this barbaric untimely death. He wasn’t armed to go fight a trigger happy soldier. He deserves justice, his family deserves support.”

culled from vanguard