Grenade Explosion in Nasarawa Injures Female Soldier and Two Children

A female soldier and two children sustained severe injuries following a grenade explosion in the Maraba area of Nasarawa State on Wednesday, December 24, 2025.

The soldier, identified simply as Mohammed, was reportedly asked by a neighbor to identify an object she had found while cleaning her apartment.

The object, which turned out to be a hand grenade, detonated during the inspection, injuring the soldier and the neighbor’s two children.

Advertisement

According to an incident report obtained by The Punch, the grenade had been left in the apartment three years prior by another soldier who was serving in the North East.

The soldier had reportedly left the device in the room of his sister, who lives in the same compound as the victim.

“The sister of the soldier brought out the grenade from her apartment during cleaning and asked the victim to identify if it was useful or should be discarded.

Advertisement

“However, upon receipt of confirmation, the grenade exploded immediately, causing severe injury to Mohammed’s left wrist and other injuries to her body,” the report stated.

The explosion occurred around 11:46 am. The injured soldier was initially rushed to Nagari Allah Private Hospital in Keffi before being transferred to the Defence Headquarters Medical Centre in Mogadishu Cantonment, Abuja.

She was subsequently referred to Cedarcrest Hospital in Apo for further treatment. The report confirmed that her condition has stabilized.

Advertisement

“Importantly, her condition has stabilized as she is responding to treatment. Investigation is ongoing to unravel the circumstances that led to the incident,” the report added.

The Director of Defence Operations, Maj. Gen. Michael Onoja, stated he had not yet been briefed on the incident when contacted for comments.

The status of the injured children remains critical but details were limited at the time of reporting.

Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding how the military-grade explosive was left unsecured in a residential area for three years.