Suspected explosion has killed two children in Abakpa community, Kaduna State, residents say.
The two children, identified as Imam and a six-year-old girl Nasrin, were between the ages of 13 and 11 years.
Three others were injured during the explosion, which occurred on Tuesday, adjacent the old site of the Nigerian Defence Academy, NDA, in Kaduna.
It was gathered that security agencies are at the scene of the incident.
A resident of the area, who did not want to be mentioned, told DAILY POST that he was taking his bath when he heard the explosion and ran out.
“The explosion occurred very close to my house.
"So when I heard it, I ran out to see what had happened. I saw one of the affected victims, Imam, and tried to take him to the hospital but he died before we got to the hospital.”
However, the Kaduna State command’s spokesman, Mansir Hassan, said in a statement that preliminary investigations conducted by the Anti-Bomb Squad indicated that a locally made firearm (Dane gun) was discharged, resulting in the unfortunate loss of life of a young boy.
According to the statement, the incident, which occurred at about 8:30 am on Tuesday at Josawa Road in the Abakpa area, claimed the life of a 12-year-old boy, identified as Abubakar Muhammed of Josawa Road, while seven other individuals sustained varying degrees of injuries.
The statement added that a combined team of policemen led by the Divisional Police Officer of Kawo Division and the Department of State Services, DSS, and the Chairman of Kaduna North Local Government, all visited the scene following a distress call, and a thorough on-site assessment was carried out.
The police revealed that further investigations and assessments were ongoing to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the incident.
The Command also assured the public that further developments will be promptly and transparently communicated.