Tragic Accident Claims Lives of Children in Taraba State

In Didango Geita village, located in the serene landscapes of Karim Lamido Local Government Area in Taraba State, a shadow of sorrow descends as the community grapples with a tragic accident that claimed the lives of three innocent children, with four others left injured.

The incident, initially thought to be linked to an improvised explosive device (IED), was later clarified by the Taraba State Police as an accidental explosion from a dane gun. State Commissioner of Police, David Iloyonomon, recounted that the unfortunate event unfolded while the children were innocently playing with the firearm on a tree, unaware of the danger it held. The sudden detonation of the gunpowder within the weapon led to the heartbreaking outcome.

The aftermath of the explosion left four additional children injured, one of whom is in critical condition and currently receiving urgent medical attention at the state’s specialist hospital in Jalingo. Commissioner Iloyonomon, in his statement, clarified, “Since there was no assailant, it is suspected to be an accidental discharge.”

The police’s anti-bomb unit, upon receiving the report, conducted a meticulous search and found no evidence of dynamite or IED at the scene, but rather pallets from the dane gun, which were tragically evident in the injuries sustained by the victims.

Further investigation is ongoing, with the police commissioner emphasizing, “Further findings by the E.O.D unit revealed that the three pallets recovered are used in conjunction with gunpowder to prepare ammunition for dane guns.” He added that the children’s positions—one group on the tree and the others on the ground—provide clear evidence that it was not an IED explosion, as the injuries would have been more severe if that were the case.

The victims were identified as Miracle Danjuma (11 years old), Liyacheyan Bitrus (12 years old), and Kefas Bitrus (11 years old). Miracle Danjuma, the first casualty, was the son of the man who reported the incident. The injured children, Joseph Danjuma (8 years old), Leah Aluda (8 years old), Godbless Hassan (7 years old), and Christian Hassan (7 years old), are the grandchildren of Danjuma Audu, the owner of an irrigation rice farm, whom the children were assisting.

As the community mourns the loss of these young lives and prays for the swift recovery of the injured, this tragic incident serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of safety awareness, especially when handling firearms and other potentially dangerous objects.

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