The Taraba State Police Command has dismissed claims of an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) causing the untimely demise of three children in Didango Geita village, Karim Lamido Local Government Area. Commissioner of Police David Iloyonomon clarified that the children’s demise resulted from playing with a Dane gun atop a tree, leading to an accidental discharge of gunpowder from the firearm.
Despite initial claims by some villagers, Commissioner Iloyonomon emphasized that a thorough investigation by the police anti-bomb unit revealed no traces of dynamite or IED at the scene. Instead, recovered pallets, commonly used with gunpowder for Dane guns, corroborated the accidental discharge narrative.
Eyewitness interviews further supported this theory, with Mallam Danjuma Audu, the informant, confirming the positioning of the deceased children atop the tree and the injured ones on the ground, indicative of non-IED related injuries.
The victims, including Miracle Danjuma (11 years old), Liyacheyan Bitrus (12 years old), and Kefas Bitrus (11 years old), were tragically involved in the incident. Meanwhile, Joseph Danjuma (8 years old), Leah Aluda (8 years old), Godbless Hassan (7 years old), and Christian Hassan (7 years old) sustained injuries.