Effiong shared the incident on his X (formerly Twitter) account, saying the boy was shot dead on New Year’s Day during a confrontation involving soldiers deployed to guard the company’s facility in Ikot Abasi Local Government Area
By Owoseni Mathins
Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong has called for urgent action by military authorities and the Akwa Ibom State government following the alleged killing of 13-year-old Timothy Daniel Monday by a soldier attached to Sterling Oil Exploration & Energy Production Company Ltd., also known as Sterling Global, in Akwa Ibom State.
Effiong shared the incident on his X (formerly Twitter) account, saying the boy was shot dead on New Year’s Day during a confrontation involving soldiers deployed to guard the company’s facility in Ikot Abasi Local Government Area.
According to Effiong, “Master Timothy Daniel Monday, a 13-year-old JSS 2 student at Bensona International School, King Jaja Street, Borokiri, Port Harcourt, was killed by a trigger-happy Army personnel on Thursday, 1st January 2026.”
He said the account of the incident was provided by the victim’s sister, Miss Miracle Daniel Monday, whom he described as an eyewitness.
“The sister, Miss Miracle Daniel Monday, who witnessed the tragedy, told me that she and her family attended a Cross Over Service at Mount Zion Church in Ette, Ikot Abasi Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State,” Effiong stated.
He explained that during the service, Miracle and her siblings stepped outside briefly, where they came across soldiers guarding Sterling Global’s facility.
“During the service, Miracle stepped out with her siblings to relieve herself and were confronted by soldiers deployed to protect Sterling Oil Exploration & Energy Production Company Ltd., popularly known as Sterling Global, a major Nigerian indigenous oil and gas firm involved in exploration and production (E&P),” Effiong said.
According to him, Miracle recounted that a disagreement broke out after she asked the soldiers to let her finish.
“Miracle told the soldiers to wait while she finished, but her innocent request angered one of them, who then pushed her to the ground,” he stated.
Effiong added, “When she asked why he pushed her, the soldier became even more enraged, slapped her, and also assaulted her sister.”
He noted that another soldier later intervened. “Another soldier stepped in, apologized to the two sisters, and asked them to leave. As they were leaving, they heard gunshots.”
Effiong said it later emerged that the same soldier allegedly opened fire, killing Timothy.
He revealed that the family reported the incident to Nigerian Army authorities.
“The family reported the case to the Nigerian Army Cantonment, 6 Battalion, Wellington Basi Barracks, Ibagwa, Abak Local Government Area,” he said, adding that it was also reported to the police.
Effiong further alleged that the oil company had not reached out to the family. “I called Miracle this morning, and she confirmed that, to date, Sterling Global has not contacted or visited the grieving family,” he said.
Calling for accountability, the lawyer said, “I am appealing to the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Army Staff, the General Officer Commanding (G.O.C.) of the 6 Battalion,
Ibagwa, and the Akwa Ibom State Government to intervene swiftly, ensure the soldier is court-martialed for murder, and that the family is adequately compensated.”
He criticised the company’s response, saying, “The indifferent attitude of Sterling Global in this case, as in many others, is despicable and unacceptable.”
Effiong emphasized that the killing violated constitutional protections. “No Nigerian should be killed in this manner by those meant to protect them. The pain inflicted on this family is unimaginable.
They live in Port Harcourt and only returned home for the holidays,” he said.
He added, “Section 33 of the Nigerian Constitution guarantees the right to life.
No one should be deprived of this sacred right except in strict compliance with the procedures set by the Constitution.”
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Nigerian Army nor the Akwa Ibom State government has commented on the incident.
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