A 13-year-old student, Master Timothy Daniel Monday, was reportedly shot and killed by a soldier attached to Sterling Oil Exploration & Energy Production Company Ltd (Sterling Global) on New Year’s Day in Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom State. The incident, which occurred during the early hours of Thursday, January 1, 2026, was brought to public attention by human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong, who is calling for immediate justice and a military court-martial for the personnel involved.
Timothy, a JSS 2 student of Bensona International School in Port Harcourt, had traveled to his hometown with his family for the holidays. According to an eyewitness account provided by the victim’s sister, Miss Miracle Daniel Monday, the family was attending a Cross Over Service at Mount Zion Church in Ette when the tragedy unfolded. Miracle stated that she and her siblings had stepped outside the church to urinate when they were accosted by soldiers deployed to protect the nearby facilities of Sterling Global.
The account details a brief verbal exchange that allegedly infuriated one of the soldiers. Miracle reported that the soldier pushed her to the ground and assaulted her sister. Although a second soldier reportedly intervened to apologize and instructed the family to leave, the first soldier allegedly opened fire as they were walking away, killing Timothy instantly. Effiong described the evidence shared with him as graphic, noting that the young boy suffered catastrophic head injuries.
The case has been formally reported to the Nigerian Army 6 Battalion, Wellington Basi Barracks in Ibagwa, as well as to the police. However, Effiong noted that as of Monday, Sterling Global had not made any contact with the grieving family. He condemned the “nonchalant attitude” of the oil firm and called on the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Army Staff, and the Akwa Ibom State Government to ensure the culprit is held accountable under the law.
Effiong emphasized that the killing is a gross violation of the right to life guaranteed under Section 33 of the Nigerian Constitution. He urged military authorities to act swiftly to prevent the case from being swept under the carpet, demanding adequate compensation for the family and a transparent investigation into the conduct of the security detail attached to the multinational firm.
 on New Year’s Day in Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom State. The incident, which occurred during the early hours of Thursday, January 1, 2026, was brought to public attention by human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong, who is calling for immediate justice and a military court-martial for the personnel involved.){kind=link}