Four children suffer varying degrees of injuries after an IED they found while playing in Borno explodes (photos)

Four children identified as Uwa, Umar, Hussaini, and Abdullahi had to be hospitalized after suffering varying degrees of injuries after an unexploded ordinance went off while they were playing in their home in Ngala community.

Dogo Shettima, who is the Special Assistant to the Borno state Governor on Reconstruction Rehabilitation & Resettlement (MRRR), Humanitarian shared photos of the children in the hospital receiving treatment and said they are in their recovery stages.

”Uwa, Umar, Hussaini and Abdullahi were playing outside their home in Ngala, when they found a strange object. Unaware of what it was, the children were curious. Unfortunately, the strange object turned out to be an Unexploded Ordnance (UXO). Before they knew it, it had detonated.

The boys suffered severe injuries and were immediately transported by the @ICRC_Nigeria helicopter to the State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri. The children received life-saving surgical care at the hospital, and they are at the recovery stage now.

The use of explosive weapons in populated areas is very likely to have indiscriminate effects and pose a great risk to the general population. Children are at high risk of death, injury, mental trauma and disability when they live in proximity to Unexploded Ordnance.

It is also important to remind children to avoid picking up suspicious and unknown objects. In fact, children and adults alike should not move suspicious and unknown objects from where they find them, inform or call for assistance from community leaders and the authorities.”