IED explodes near Mosque in Borno, injures 4 children
By Kingsley Chukwuka
An Improvised Explosive Device (IED), hidden in block holes near a culvert on the access road to an ongoing construction site at the New Mafa Central Mosque in Borno State, has injured four children and left another with an amputated hand.
The incident occurred on Friday, a security source told our correspondent.
According to him: “The explosion occurred around 1425hrs when the children unknowingly tampered with the IED devices.
“The victims, four males and one female, were identified as Abdullahi Umar, Musa Mele, Fatima Abatcha, Abba Kawu Muhammed, and Khalid Alhaji Bukar, all of Mafa town. The blast caused varying degrees of injuries, with one of the boys losing his hand”, he said.
Following the incident, a combined team from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal-Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (EOD-CBRN) Unit, Police from Mafa Division, and the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) responded, our correspondent gathered.
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“The scene was cordoned off, and secondary devices were searched for, with pieces of can tins used as improvised containers for the IED found and professionally detonated.
“Four of the victims were referred to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) for treatment, while one victim with minor injuries was treated and discharged at Mafa General Hospital”, the security source said.
In response to the attack, the EOD-CBRN team conducted Explosive Ordinance Risk Education (EORE) for children and community members in Mafa, reports informed.
