By G9ija
A seven-year-old Almajiri pupil has been injured after a suspected explosive device denoted at Nayinawa forest area of Damaturu, the Yobe State capital.
The incident is said to have occurred around 9 am on Sunday when a heavy sound was heard in the area causing the residents to scamper for safety.
Although the cause of the incident is still unclear, the Police Public Relations Officer in Yobe State, Dungus Abdulkarim said that the Anti-Bomb Squad has been dispatched to the scene of the incident.
“Yes, we are aware of the incident, but the information is still sketchy. We have dispatched our Anti-Bomb Squad to the scene, and we will inform you of the outcome,” the police spokesman said.
“The victim has been taken to hospital for medication because he was the only person injured.”
Some eyewitnesses further claimed a chisel, and knife were found on a mat where the incident happened.
“It’s been a long time since we heard of such a panicking sound, I was going to market when the incident happened and on reaching the scene, I saw a chisel, knife among other tools,” a resident, identified as Adamu Hassan said.
“It was so scary, what I saw, a small boy in cool blood. I don’t think it’s an explosive device,” another resident, Abubakar Ali, said.
Meanwhile, the victim has since been rushed to a specialists’ hospital in Damaturu for medication.
Yobe State is one of the states in the North-East affected by the decade-long Boko Haram insurgency. Other states are neighbouring Borno and Adamawa State.
Sunday’s explosion cannot be ascertained if it is linked to the insurgents as no life was lost in the process.
The incident is coming about seven months after a similar explosion occurred in a relaxation centre in Abasha ward, Gashua Local Government Area of Yobe state.
During the attack on April 24, one person was confirmed dead with seven others injured when some residents were drinking in a pub domiciled in the relaxation centre.
