Officer Detained After Accidental Shooting Incident

Immigration Personnel Accidentally Shot by Officer

In Minna, Niger State, a police officer has been detained following an incident on February 21, 2025, where a female immigration officer, Assistant Superintendent of Immigration (ASI) Christiana Oladimeji, was accidentally shot during a confrontation between police and local hoodlums.

The incident began when a Surveillance Patrol Team from the ‘A’ Division Police Command, led by ASP Ibrahim Audu Paiko, observed road construction workers in possession of suspected stolen iron rods near the Obasanjo Complex. Upon the officers’ approach, the workers abandoned the materials and fled. As the police attempted to recover the items, they were attacked by another group of construction workers and hoodlums, who pelted them with stones, damaging the patrol vehicle.

In an effort to disperse the mob, ASP Paiko fired a warning shot, which inadvertently struck ASI Oladimeji, who was passing by on a motorcycle. She sustained a gunshot wound to her lap and additional injuries from falling off the motorcycle. She was immediately transported to the IBB Specialist Hospital in Minna, where medical personnel confirmed no bullet fragments remained in her body, but she had suffered a fracture in her waist.

In response to the incident, the Niger State Police Command has initiated internal administrative disciplinary action against the officers involved. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Administration, Aminu Garba, representing Commissioner of Police Shawulu Ebenezer Danmamman, visited ASI Oladimeji at the hospital to assess her condition. During the visit, it was disclosed that the Niger State Government provided financial support of N1 million towards her medical treatment.

The police command has assured the victim’s family of their support throughout her recovery and emphasized the importance of maintaining strong collaboration between the Police and the Immigration Service, as well as other security agencies in the state.