5 children injured in Borno IED explosion

An explosion caused by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) has left five children injured in Mafa Local Government Area of Borno State.

The blast, believed to have been triggered by a device planted by suspected terrorists, occurred around 2:26 p.m. on Thursday, May 8, near a construction site at the New Mafa Central Mosque.

According to counter-terrorism expert Zagazola Makama, the victims—four boys and one girl—were playing near a culvert when they accidentally came into contact with the hidden IED.

One of the boys reportedly lost a hand in the explosion, while others sustained varying degrees of injuries.

The children have been identified as Abdullahi Umar, Musa Mele, Fatima Abatcha, Abba Kawu Muhammed, and Khalid Alhaji Bukar, all residents of Mafa town.

Emergency response teams from the Explosive Ordinance Disposal-Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (EOD-CBRN) Unit, the Nigeria Police, and the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) swiftly arrived at the scene and cordoned off the area.

Four of the injured children were transferred to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) for treatment, while one child with a minor injury was treated and discharged from Mafa General Hospital.

In the aftermath of the incident, the EOD-CBRN team conducted Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) sessions for children and other members of the Mafa community to raise awareness and prevent future tragedies.

The Star