Seven pupils have allegedly sustained serious injury after a suspected improvised explosive device (IED) went off at LGEA Primary School, Ater Ayange in Ukum LGA of Benue state.
According to Salient Times, Zagazola Makama, a counterinsurgency publication focused on the Lake Chad region, said the incident occurred at about 2 pm on September 16.
The publication said the explosion happened when some pupils found an object on the school premises and began playing with it, unaware it was an explosive.
Makama said the victims were taken to a hospital in Zaki-Biam where they are receiving treatment and said to be responding well.
The publication added that the incident was not reported to the police until September 18 when the divisional police officer in Ukum got information and deployed a patrol team to the school and hospital.
When contacted, Udeme Edet, police spokesperson in the state, told Newsmen that the command’s explosive ordnance disposal unit has been deployed to sweep the area and determine the nature of the device.
Edet added that the criminal investigation department has also opened an inquiry into the incident.
“The police is already on top of it. The EOD team were sent to Ukum LGA to sweep the scene for possible recovery of other hidden explosive objects,” Edet said.
