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Four Borno teenagers die after an IED explosion in Banki, Bama LGA, police confirm.
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Device allegedly picked from bush detonated while victims were playing with it.
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Police restore calm as investigation begins into source of explosive device.
Four teenagers have been confirmed dead following the explosion of an improvised explosive device (IED) in Banki, Bama Local Government Area of Borno State.
The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Nahum Kenneth Daso, disclosed the incident in a statement on Friday, noting that the blast occurred behind the Banki Motor Park in Wajari Ward.
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According to the police, the victims were playing with the device—believed to have been picked from the bush—when it suddenly detonated.
“At about 12:40hrs today, an IED explosion occurred behind Banki Motor Park,” the statement said. “Following a report by one Babagana Mohammed of Wajari Ward, the DPO Banki and EOD operatives immediately moved to the scene and cordoned off the area.”
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A 12-year-old boy, Mustapha Tijja, survived the explosion with serious injuries and was taken to the FHI 360 NGO clinic in Banki, where he is currently responding to treatment.
Preliminary findings revealed that Mustapha and four friends had entered a makeshift room near the park where the deceased were handling the device before it exploded.
The victims were identified as:
Awana Mustapha, 15
Malum Modu, 14
Lawan Ibrahim, 12
Modu Abacha, 12
ASP Daso added that normalcy has since returned to the area while investigations are ongoing to determine the origin of the device.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Naziru Abdulmajid, expressed condolences to the families and cautioned residents—especially children—against picking or playing with strange objects.
