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Three persons were on Thursday killed in the Bassa community of the Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State following multiple bomb explosions.
According to locals, the first explosion occurred as three siblings, Mali, Nehemiah, and Jona, aged 20, 15, and 14, were riding a motorcycle.
The second one went up when a motorcycle carrying rescuers stomped on it, killing one of the rescuers, Dauda Haruna.
The PUNCH learned that a child killed in the first incident has been buried according to Islamic rites, while the four injured children are receiving treatment at the IBB Specialist Hospital, Minna.
The explosion occurred when the children discovered the bomb on the ground while playing.
The device suddenly went off, killing one child instantly and causing severe injuries to the others.
A different account suggested the children were on their way to the farm when the bomb detonated.
A resident of the community, Ahmed Almustapha, said three of the injured victims, who lost their legs in the explosion, are siblings and his sister’s children.
“This is the second explosion in Bassa this month. Two weeks ago, another bomb blast claimed a life when the victim was heading to the farm,” he said.
Almustapha called on the Niger State Government and the Federal Government to address the security situation in the area, emphasising the community’s inability to safely return to their farms.
Niger State Commissioner for Transport, Hadiza Kuta, confirmed the incident, describing it as unfortunate.
“One person died and has been buried. Four others who were injured have been taken to the IBB Specialist Hospital for treatment,” she said.
Efforts to reach the spokesman for the Niger State Police Command, Wasiu Abiodun, were unsuccessful as calls to his phone went unanswered.
