Man opens fire on self in Bayelsa, reportedly dies

A father of six reportedly died after his gun inadvertently went off, sending the Oloibiri community in Ogbia Local Government Area in Bayelsa State into grief over the weekend.
According to information obtained by Platinum Times, the farmer and hunter, identified as Mr. Claude Tonworio, was reportedly carrying a Dane rifle about while attempting to transport his canoe-load of freshly collected farm products to the residence. The rifle accidently went off, and he was discovered with head wounds.
According to reports, the incident occurred on August 26 as he was getting ready to spend the weekend with his family.
According to a family source, the event has caused the Otobo family of Eguema and Ogbolobiri in the Nembe Local Government Area of the state anguish and sorrow. The source further noted that the deceased, who was also a civil worker, inadvertently shot himself after he slipped and fell while packing his goods.
She said,
”The whole community is still in shock of his death. He is a civil servant but most weekends he comes to the village to stay with the family, and this Saturday was one of such. He left the family to the farm, with his farm tools and hunter gun to also hunt animals.”
“He usually goes in a canoe, where he keeps whatever is harvested. On Saturday 26th, he went the same way, so we were all waiting. He came back and was trying to bring in the farm produce. We heard a loud sound, but we didn’t suspect something had gone wrong, but by the time people went outside, they discovered he was lying on the floor bleeding and struggling for survival with a shattered head through bullet wounds.
“All attempt to rush him to the hospital was not productive, as he died on the way. The corpse was later taken to waterside for rituals as the custom demands.
“He must have slipped and fell, so the gun which was loaded already exploded, it’s a sad incident for the family. Who will take care of the six children he left behind?”
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Asinim Butswat, said the incident was yet to be reported to the command.