At least three children were killed and four others injured in a gun accident that occurred in Didango Geita community in Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State on Saturday morning.
The State Commissioner of Police, David Iloyonomon, confirmed the incident in a statement issued in Jalingo on Sunday, dismissing a speculation that the children died from an explosion of a dynamite.
“The three children that died were playing with a dane gun on a tree, whose gunpowder later exploded and killed them,” the CP said.
He explained that four other children who were playing under the tree were injured with one receiving treatment at the state’s specialist hospital in Jalingo, the state capital.
”One Danjuma Audu gave the information to the police that there was an explosion which resulted to 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 death.
”Since there was no assailant, it is suspected to be an accidental discharge,” he explained.
The commissioner of police noted that the scene of the incident has been condoned off and investigation was 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 dane guns.
”Thereafter we went to further interview Audu who reported the incident to the police. He revealed that the three children that died were the ones on top of the tree while in 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,” Mr Iloyomon said.
He identified the three deceased children as two 11 year olds and a 12-year-old.
The CP stated that the first named victim was the son of the man who reported the incident.
He equally identified the injured victims as two seven year olds and two eight year olds.
Iloyonomon disclosed that some of the victims were the grandchildren of Mr Audu, the owner of rice farm where the children had gone to offer help.
