Abuja Explosion: Eyewitness Counters Police, Says Student Brought Bomb To School
An eyewitness has contradicted the police’s account regarding the recent explosion at the Sani Uthman Islamiyya School in Kuchibuyi Village, Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which led to the deaths of two individuals. The police had initially stated that three men from Katsina had brought the explosive device to the school, but the eyewitness claims that it was actually a student who brought the bomb into the school.
According to the witness, the student, who had arrived from Katsina a day earlier, was showing the explosive device to another child when it detonated. The student holding the device died instantly, and the second child later succumbed to injuries at the hospital.
The explosion, which occurred on Monday, also left two other children injured. One survivor, a little girl, is receiving treatment at the Kubwa General Hospital, while another boy has been referred to the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital. Graphic images from the scene have been circulated, showing the aftermath of the explosion.
In contrast, the police’s statement, issued by FCT Police Spokesperson SP Josephine Adeh, suggests that the explosive device was brought to the school by three men from Katsina who were visiting the school’s owner, Mallam Adamu Ashimu. According to the police, two of the men died while tampering with the explosive device, while the third man and a female trader sustained injuries and are under police guard while receiving medical treatment.
The police confirmed that the explosive was an improvised explosive device (IED), and remnants of the device were recovered by the FCT Bomb Squad. The school, which has a three-classroom block intended for nomadic education, has been sealed by the police for further investigation.
Mallam Adamu Ashimu, the owner of the school, has been taken into custody for questioning as the police continue their investigation. FCT Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, has called on the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity or items resembling explosives to law enforcement.
The area has been cordoned off, and the police have assured the public that updates will be provided as the investigation progresses.
