Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
The Taraba State Commissioner of Police, David Iloyonomon, has cleared the air on the circumstances that led to the death of three children in Karim Lamido Local Government Area of the State.
CP Iloyonomon said contrary to earlier speculations of IEDs or dynamite explosion, investigation has revealed that the three children were playing with the dane gun on the tree when it exploded, leading to the death of the trio who were on the tree and serious injuries to the other four who were under the tree.
Iloyonomon explained that the four other children playing under the tree were injured with one fatally 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 their was an explosion which resulted to the death of three youngsters while four others were injured.
“Upon 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 related to dynamite or IED was recovered from the scene.
“Instead, they recovered pallets from a den 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,” Iloyonomon said.
He said that the scene of the incident had been condoned and investigation ongoing to unravel more facts.
“Further findings by the E.O.D unit revealed that the three pallets recovered are used in conjunction with gun powder, to prepare ammunition for den 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 while in the farm, while the other four who were on the ground sustained injuries, and that’s a very clear evidence to show that it was 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”.
The police commissioner identified the three deceased children as Miracle Danjuma, 11 years old; Liyacheyan Bitrus 12-year-old; Kefas Bitrus 11-year-old, with the first casualty Miracle Danjuma the son of the man who reported the incident.
Others who sustained varying degrees of injuries include Joseph Danjuma, eight years old; Leah Aluda, eight years old; Godbless Hassan, seven years old; Christian Hassan, seven years old, all of who happened to be the grandchildren of Danjuma Audu, the owner of an irrigation rice farm whom the children followed to assist in his farm.