The joy of a family seeing the daughter through school was cut short after she was accidentally shot and killed at a graduation party
It was tears and sorrow at the residence of late Miss Laurenta Apaume Uloko at Iviedachi area of Fugar, Estako Central Local Government of Edo State.
Her parents were in tears as they narrated the life and times of their daughter, a graduate of Banking and Finance from Auchi Polytechnic, who was accidentally shot and killed by a stray bullet from a member of the Auchi vigilante group during a graduation party.
Also, sympathisers who thronged the house to console the family could not hold back tears. Late Laurenta’s father, Pius Uloko, said he had lost an angel and pride of the family and that he was short of words to describe what happened.
He said: “My daughter was a gift from God who did well in her academic pursuits but could not live to enjoy after great sacrifice. It was sad to bury my daughter after seeing her through her education. My pride whom I looked up to is gone and it is very sad to bury a daughter who you love so much and trained from primary school to higher institution.”
The celebrating students had invited the vigilante group as part of the tradition to help secure the place for a party to celebrate successful completion of their Higher National Diploma (HND) programme.
It was said that during the celebration, the vigilante as part of the celebration fired into the air but the gun failed and while lowering the firearm to check what the problem was, the bullet discharged and killed the girl on the spot.
The mother, Eunice Uloko, told Daily Trust that her daughter had called her and was so happy that she had graduated. “She told me not to worry and that when she was home, we would celebrate with the family.”
According to her, whenever she was returning to school, Laurenta would give her one of her T-shirts, lamenting that now that she was gone, no one would give her a shirt, ear ring or slippers to wear anymore.
But Omoh, a younger sister of the deceased who witnessed the incident, dismissed the claim that late Laurenta invited the vigilantes to provide security.
According to her, during the party, the landlord who is also the chairman of the vigilante group, called two of his members to help provide security. She said everything went well but later turned sad when they asked the celebrants to pose for a photograph.
“When they positioned themselves for the photograph, they called the vigilante members to shoot into the air as part of the celebration. One of them fired successfully but the second wanted to shoot, not knowing that the gun was not raised and in the process shot my sister in the chest,” she said.
Another sister, Jennifer, described Laurenta as a cheerful giver who had never quarreled with anybody but what she wanted was for the government to do justice in the matter.
According to her, her sisters’ wish was to work in a financial institution and assist the family.
On his part, an uncle of the deceased, Sunday Uloko, described her as a cool-headed girl who would not hurt a fly, saying all the family wanted was justice for their daughter.
