No fewer than 13 scrap-metal collectors have been killed by a bomb they excavated in Borno State.
Babakura Kolo, a leader in a local anti-jihadist militia said sixteen metal scavengers from a displaced persons’ camp in Bama found the bomb while digging for scrap on Monday July 25, in the bush on the outskirts of town.
“The bomb exploded as they were pushing it in a cart toward the town, killing 13 and seriously injuring three.” he said.
Kolo said the ordnance had apparently been dropped in 2015, when the military bombed jihadist positions during operations to retake Bama from Boko Haram.
A second militia leader, Bukar Grema, who gave the same toll said;
“It was dormant for seven years and buried in the sand but they managed to dig it out, not knowing it was a bomb.”