Akwa Ibom: Police detain Inspector over shooting of 7-year-old boy

The Akwa Ibom state Police command has arrested and detained a police Inspector, identified as Monday Okonta, over  alleged shooting of a seven-year-old boy during a stop-and-search operation along Abak Road, Uyo.

The incident occurred at about 9:30 p.m.  Friday, September 11, 2026, when police personnel attached to the Quick Response Squad (QRS) stopped a vehicle conveying a family.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Timfon John, said the child, who was inside the vehicle with his parents, sustained an injury to his left hand, when a smoke pistol was allegedly discharged by one of the officers during the encounter.

In a statement made available to journalists in Uyo, John said the Commissioner of Police, CP Baba Mohammed Azare, has ordered an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation into the incident.

She said the officer allegedly involved had been identified, disarmed and detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Ikot Akpan Abia, pending the outcome of the investigation.

 “The Commissioner of Police, Akwa Ibom state Police command, CP Baba Mohammed Azare, has ordered an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation into an incident involving personnel of the QRS, during which a seven-year-old child sustained an injury along Abak Road, Uyo, on 11th September, 2026,” the statement said.

The police spokesperson added that the commissioner had personally visited the injured child at an undisclosed hospital, where he interacted with the family and assessed the condition of the minor.

He said the child was in stable condition and responding to treatment, adding that CP Azare has expressed concern over the incident and assured the family that the command would establish the full circumstances surrounding the shooting.

The commissioner, she said, warned police personnel to discharge their duties with a high level of professionalism, particularly during stop-and-search operations, stressing the need to protect lives and property.