An Improvised Explosive Device (IED), suspected to have been abandoned by ISWAP insurgents, detonated in Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State, claiming the life of a child and leaving six others severely injured.
The tragic incident reportedly occurred in the Kofa Biyu community when unsuspecting children brought the device into town, mistaking it for scrap metal.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Borno State Police Command, Nahum Daso, disclosed that the unaware children had dug up the device and unknowingly carried it home, triggering the blast.
“It is heartbreaking. One child has lost their life, and six others are receiving treatment for injuries sustained in the explosion,” said Daso.
According to him, the injured victims have been admitted to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital for medical attention to prevent further fatalities.
While addressing reporters, the police officer noted that incidents involving abandoned explosives have become increasingly frequent across parts of Borno, particularly in Konduga, Dikwa, Monguno, and Jere, despite an official ban on scrap metal collection across the state.
The police are intensifying awareness campaigns to educate residents about the dangers of handling suspicious objects.
“Preventing such tragedies requires constant community vigilance. Residents must be careful and report anything unusual immediately,” Daso emphasized.
In a related development, security officials recovered an unexploded ordnance from farmland in Dikwa Local Government Area.
A local farmer, Babagana Kachalla, had alerted authorities after noticing a suspicious object on his property. An Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team identified it as a 2.2-meter-long cluster bomb unit.
Government officials have reiterated that communities in the North-East remain littered with remnants of terrorist attacks. They urged farmers and residents to report any strange objects immediately to security agencies to prevent further casualties.
