Six Almajiri boys, in Gubio Town of Borno state in Northern Nigeria, have lost their lives as a result of a blast from an improvised explosive device (IED), mistaken for scrap metal, Zagazola Makama has reported.
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 Quranic school.
According to the report, the scavenger did not know that among the collected metal was an abandoned undetonated IED, which exploded at approximately 2 pm, killing the six children and injuring others.
Recall that metal scavenging had been prohibited by the state governor, Babagana Zulum since July 2023, following reports of alleged vandalism of government facilities in abandoned communities.
Governor Zulum had, while justifying the need for outlawing scrap metal scavenging, also pointed out that many scavengers had fallen victim to insurgent attacks while venturing into deserted areas to pilfer items.
Despite the official ban, metal scavengers continued their activities without restraint, leading to this devastating and entirely avoidable loss of life.
