A metal scavenger unknowingly set off an explosion in Gubio town, Borno, on Saturday leading to the unfortunate demise of six Almajirai pupils from a Qur’anic school.
The explosion occurred around 2 p.m., triggered by a metal scavenger who stored an undetonated Improvised Explosive Device (IED) among the collected metallic items. The resulting explosion was devastating.
This incident adds to the growing concerns following the death of 55 scrap metal collectors at the hands of insurgents within a span of three weeks in 2022.
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In response to these incidents, Governor Babagana Zulum banned metal scavenging activities across all Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state in 2023, attributing the ban to the deaths of thousands of citizens.
A statement detailing the tragic event read, “An improvised explosive device (IED) has detonated in Gubio town, Borno, resulting in the tragic deaths of six Qur’anic school pupils, popularly known as Almajirai.
“The incident took place on Saturday, January 27, when a metal scavenger unknowingly collected and stored various metallic items in a building in close proximity to a Tsangaya school.
“Little did the scavenger know that among the collected metal was an abandoned undetonated IED, which exploded at approximately 2 pm, claiming the lives of the children and causing severe bodily harm.”
