Five children have been injured
following the explosion of an improvised explosive device (IED) in Mafa LGA of Borno state.
Gatekeepers News reports that Zagazola Makama, a counterinsurgency publication focused on the Lake Chad region, revealed that the incident occurred around 2:25 pm on Thursday.
According to Makama; the explosion occurred when the children unknowingly tampered with the devices, which had been hidden in block holes near a culvert along the access road to the construction site of the New Mafa Central
Mosque.
The injured children, four boys and a girl, were identified as Abdullahi Umar, Musa Mele, Fatima Abatcha, Abba Muhammed, and Khalid Bukar. Unfortunately, One of the boys lost his hand.
A joint team comprising the explosive ordinance disposal-chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (EOD-CBRN) unit, police from Mafa Division, and the civilian Joint task force (CJTF) responded to the incident.
The scene of the explosion was restricted, and secondary devices were searched for, with pieces of can tins used as improvised containers for the lED found and professionally detonated.
The EOD-CBRN team conducted an explosive ordinance risk education (EORE) for children and community members to prevent future incidents.
