Gun powder killed 3 kids, injures four in Taraba- Police

 

From Godwin Agia, Jalingo

The Taraba state police command has on Sunday debunked claims of an improvised Explosive device explosion or Dynamite explosion that has led to the death of three children in Didango Geita village of Karim lamidLamidoo local government area of the state.

The State Commissioner of police David Iloyonomon while refuting the claims asserted that the three children who died were playing with a dane gun that exploded.

According to him, the four other children playing under the tree were injured with one affected and receiving treatment at the state's specialist hospital located in Jalingo, the state capital. 

''One Danjuma Audu gave the information to the police that there was an explosion which resulted in the dead of three youngsters and the injury of four others ''

''On the receipt of the information, we deployed the anti-bomb unit of the Nigeria Police Force who rushed to the  scene, conducted a professional and thorough search and discovered that no exhibit is related to dynamite or IED recovered from the scene ''

''Instead, they recovered pallets from a dane gun which was evident in the bodies of the casualties and suspected to be responsible for their dead ''

''Since there was no assailant, it is suspected to be an accidental discharge.

The commissioner of police further revealed that the scene of the incident has been condoned and the investigation is still ongoing to unravel more facts. 

''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.

''Thereafter we went to further interview Mallam Danjuma Audu who reported the incident to the police, revealed that the three children that died were the ones on top of the tree on the farm, while the other four that were on the ground sustained injuries and that's a very clear evidence to show that it is not an IED explosion, because if it were to be IED or dynamite explosion, those children on the ground and on the tree would have been shattered beyond recognition,'' he said.

The police commissioner identified the three deceased children as Miracle Danjuma 11 years old, Liyacheyan Bitrus 12 years old, and Kefas Bitrus 11 years old, with the first casualty Miracle Danjuma the son of the man who reported the incident. 

Others that sustained varying degrees of injuries include Joseph Danjuma 8 years old,  Leah Aluda 8 years old, Godbless Hassan 7 years old, Christian Hassan 7 years old who happen to be the grandchildren of Danjuma Audu, the owner of an irrigation rice farm whom the children followed to assist in his farm.