2 children feared dead, 4 injured in Borno IED blast

By Ndahi Marama

Maiduguri—An Improvised Explosive Device, IED, mistaken for scrap metal, exploded in Konduga, Borno State, leaving two children dead and four others injured.

Konduga, located about 40 kilometres from Maiduguri, is the headquarters of Konduga Local Government Area.

According to sources, the victims, on Sunday, picked the object at an excavation site where the Borno State Government is undertaking a project.

However, a military source, who confirmed the incident disputed reports of fatalities, insisting that no lives were lost, though four children sustained injuries in the blast.

Vanguard gathered that the explosive was an old planted IED, which had been unearthed by an excavating machine at the project site. Unaware of its danger, the children reportedly carried the device and struck it against a tarred road near Ajari community in Konduga town. The impact triggered the explosion, causing severe injuries.

Unconfirmed reports on Monday indicated that two of the victims later died from their injuries, while four others are receiving treatment at a hospital in Maiduguri.

Some residents, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, confirmed the account:

“The bombs were brought into town by six boys who thought they were scraps of metal, probably unaware that they were explosives. Two of them later died from severe injuries,” one resident said.

Meanwhile, the military source maintained: “It was a small hand grenade picked up by children, perhaps dropped by terrorists. They carried it to the road, and on impact, it exploded. Four of the children were injured and are presently receiving treatment in Maiduguri. No deaths were recorded.”

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