Highway Armed Robbery: A Major Cause Of Extremity Gunshot Injury In Northeastern, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Gunshot injury is a global problem and has its toll especially in a developing region like ours where poverty and violent crimes are the twin evils. Previous studies from this sub-region dwelt on abdominal and facial gunshot injuries. We retrospectively studied extremities gunshot injuries and its peculiarities in this sub-region. Methods: All case notes of patients admitted and managed at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital with extremities gunshot injuries between 2001 and 2004 were retrospectively studied. Results: A total of 70 patients were studied males were affected more than females in the ration of 10.6:1. Young adults between the ages of 21 – 40 years constituted the majority with a mean of 32.2±11.2 years. Majority of the victims were traders (24.3%). The commonest reason of gunshot injury was armed robbery (80%) mostly on the highway, while accidental discharge ranked second (10%). The lower limb was the predominant site of injury (51%) with thigh accounting for (31.4%) of the injuries, majority of the fractures (90.6%) were managed by non operative methods. Wound infection (20%) was the commonest complications encountered. Conclusion: Firearms violence is a public health problem in North-eastern Nigeria. The law enforcement agencies should device strategies to monitor the sale, acquisition and use of such firearms. The government must take urgent and adequate steps to combat highway robbery in an attempt to reduce further poverty and the number of disabled people in our society.