A improvised explosive device left on the ground some yet to be identified persons suspected to be bandits has exploded in Niger state killing a child and amputating four children who were playing around the bomb.
FUSION CHRONICLES NIGERIA NEWSPAPER gathered that the child has already been buried according to Islamic rite while the other four children are currently receiving treatment at the IBB Specialist Hospital Minna.
It was further learnt that the explosion happened in the Bassa community of Shiroro Local Government Area on Thursday when the children found the bomb on the ground and went on to play with it. The bomb exploded killing the child on the spot and injuring the others.
Source privy to the incident stated that the victims were going to the farm when the bomb went off.A resident of the Bassa community Ahmed Almustapha who spoke on the bomb explosion said that three of the victims lost their legs and are being treated at the IBB Specialist Hospital.
According to him, three of the victims were siblings and his sister’s children. “This is the second time that an explosion has occurred this month in Bassa. The first explosion which occurred two weeks ago claimed one life when the victim was going to farm,” he said.He further called on the Niger State Government and federal government to come to their aid to enable them to return to farms.
The Niger state Commissioner for Transport Hadiza Kuta who spoke to reporters on Thursday, confirmed the bomb explosion further disclosed that one person died in the explosion while four other injured children had been rushed to the hospital.
“It was very unfortunate. One person died and has been buried. Four others who were injured have been taken to the IBB Specialist hospital for treatment,” she said.
All efforts to speak with the spokesman of the Niger State police command Wasiu Abiodun proved abortive as he could not be reach on the phone via phone calls to confirm the explosion.
