Kehinde Fajobi
An eyewitness has claimed that the explosion at Sani Uthman Islamiyya School in Kuchibuyi Village, Bwari Area Council, on Monday was caused by a bomb brought to the school by a student.
The blast claimed two lives and injured two others.
The witness told reporters on Tuesday that the student who brought the explosive had arrived from Katsina State the day before the incident.
“The explosive detonated at the point the boy from Katsina was showing the object to another child in the school,” the eyewitness said.
The boy holding the device died instantly, while the second child succumbed to injuries at the hospital.
Two others—a girl receiving treatment at Kubwa General Hospital and a boy referred to the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital—survived the incident.
Gory images of the aftermath emerged on Tuesday, showing extensive damage to the school, which is a three-classroom block built for nomadic education.
However, a statement by FCT Police spokesperson Josephine Adeh provided a different account.
According to Adeh, the explosive was brought into the school by three men who visited the school’s owner, Mallam Adamu Ashimu, from Katsina.
“The three visitors are suspected of having brought the explosive device with them.
“Tragically, two of the men died in the explosion while tampering with the improvised explosive device (IED) on the school veranda.
“The third man and a female trader sustained severe injuries and are currently receiving treatment under police guard,” Adeh said.
She added that police operatives, including the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team, cordoned off the area and recovered remnants of the device.
The FCT Bomb Squad confirmed it was an IED explosion.
The school owner has been taken into custody for questioning.
Meanwhile, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, has urged residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities or items resembling explosives to the police.
Further findings will be communicated as investigations continue.