The Benue State Police Command has confirmed that seven primary school pupils sustained injuries following the detonation of a suspected improvised explosive device (IED) in Ukum Local Government Area.
The blast occurred on Monday, September 16, at about 2:00 p.m., inside the Local Government Education Authority Primary School in Ater Ayange.
The unsuspecting children reportedly discovered the object on the school premises and mistook it for a plaything.
According to police sources, the pupils accidentally triggered the device while handling it.
“The explosion happened after the pin was pulled off. Sadly, seven children were caught in the blast and injured,” a police officer familiar with the situation explained.
The injured pupils were quickly taken to St. Anthony Hospital in Zaki-Biam, where medical staff have been providing treatment. Hospital officials confirmed that the children were responding positively to care.
However, the incident was not immediately reported to law enforcement. Police authorities revealed that information about the blast only reached the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ukum on Wednesday, September 18.
Officers were then dispatched to both the school and the hospital to assess the situation.
In response, the Police Command deployed operatives from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit to sweep the school environment for other potential threats.
“Our priority is ensuring the safety of the schoolchildren and staff. The EOD team has been instructed to thoroughly comb the area to prevent a repeat occurrence,” a senior police official said.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has also opened a probe into the incident to determine the origin and nature of the explosive device.
Security operatives are working to establish whether the device was deliberately planted or left behind by unknown persons.
Authorities have urged communities to remain vigilant and immediately report any suspicious objects to security agencies.