A bomb left on the ground by suspected bandits exploded in the Bassa community of Shiroro Local Government Area on Thursday, killing one child and amputating the limbs of four others who had been playing nearby.
Reports indicate that the child who died in the explosion has been buried according to Islamic rites, while the four other injured children are receiving treatment at the IBB Specialist Hospital in Minna.
The incident occurred when the children, who were on their way to the farm, came across the bomb and began playing with it. Tragically, the bomb detonated, killing one child on the spot and injuring the others.
Sources indicate that three of the injured children were siblings. They are now receiving treatment at the hospital, with three of them having lost their legs due to the blast.
A local resident, Ahmed Almustapha, spoke about the devastating event, saying that the explosion was the second such incident in Bassa this month.
READ ALSO : Suicide bomber kills Afghan refugee minister in Kabul
The first explosion occurred two weeks ago and resulted in one death when a person was on their way to the farm. Almustapha also revealed that three of the victims in Thursday’s explosion were his sister’s children.
“This is a very troubling situation. The bomb explosions are becoming too frequent,” Almustapha said. “We need urgent assistance from both the Niger State Government and the federal government. This will help us return to our farms, which have become increasingly unsafe.”
Niger State Commissioner for Transport, Hadiza Kuta, confirmed the explosion saying one person had died, and four other children had been rushed to the hospital with injuries. She expressed her condolences, calling the incident “very unfortunate.”
“The child has already been buried, and the injured children are receiving treatment at IBB Specialist Hospital,” Kuta added.
When contacted, Wasiu Abiodun, the spokesman for the Niger State Police Command, confirmed that he would reach out to verify the details of the explosion.
Credible News.ng
