While playing in their home in the Ngala neighborhood, an unexploded explosive went off, injuring four children who have been identified as Uwa, Umar, Hussaini, and Abdullahi to varying degrees. They had to be taken to the hospital.
Dogo Shettima, who serves as the governor of Borno state’s special assistant for reconstruction, rehabilitation, and resettlement (MRRR), released images of the hospitalised kids and noted that they are now in the recovery phase.
”Uwa, Umar, Hussaini and Abdullahi were playing outside their home in Ngala, when they found a strange object. Unaware of what it was, the children were curious. Unfortunately, the strange object turned out to be an Unexploded Ordnance (UXO). Before they knew it, it had detonated.
The boys suffered severe injuries and were immediately transported by the @ICRC_Nigeria helicopter to the State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri. The children received life-saving surgical care at the hospital, and they are at the recovery stage now.
The use of explosive weapons in populated areas is very likely to have indiscriminate effects and pose a great risk to the general population. Children are at high risk of death, injury, mental trauma and disability when they live in proximity to Unexploded Ordnance.
It is also important to remind children to avoid picking up suspicious and unknown objects. In fact, children and adults alike should not move suspicious and unknown objects from where they find them, inform or call for assistance from community leaders and the authorities.”
