Police in Adjumani district is investigating circumstances in which bomb explosion killed 6 children and injured 5 at Maji ll Refugee Settlement.
It is alleged that a group of children residing at Maji ll Refugee Settlement went to the bush on a playing spree and picked an object which they didn’t know properly, tried to cut it through using a Panga knife, incidentally, the object exploded killing 6 of them and injuring 5.
The incident happened on Tuesday February 16th at around 1400 hours.
Police was alerted by the Officer in charge of Maji ll police station and a team of officers including detectives led by DPC Adjumani rushed to the scene to follow up the matter.
Upon arrival of the police team at the scene, Victims were immediately evacuated to Maji ll health center for first aid, relevant statements recorded to guide Investgations, pieces of Panga knife and some particles of fragments recovered and exhibited, 3 dead bodies from the scene retrieved plus 1 other body of those who were rushed for first aid at Maji health center and died shortly, the 4 bodies were conveyed to Adjumani Hospital for postmortem, 7 victims initially rushed to Maji health Centre were instead transfered to Adjumani hospital for further treatment amongst which 2 were later pronounced dead making the total number of the deceased to be 6.
The deceased have been identified as;
– Joseph Otto – 06yrs, Ma’di by tribe;
– Drago James – 9yrs old, Ma’di by tribe;
– Duku Emmanuel – 7yrs, Kuku by tribe;
– Amaruma Isaac – 11yrs, Ma’di by tribe;
– Edema Thomas – 10yrs, Ma’di by tribe;
– Mandre Justine – 14yrs, Ma’di by tribe.
Meanwhile the 5 victims/survivors still alive receiving treatment at Adjumani Hospital. These have also been identified as;
– Wani Jonathan – 10yrs old Ma’di by tribe;
– Abao James – 7yrs old;
– Andruga Dominic – 14yrs old;
– Bazio Joyce – 12yrs old, a Ma’di.
A case has been opened under number CRB 97/2021 and investigations into the matter are still ongoing.
Police observation indicates that these bombs could have been left behind in the bushes by former Konyi rebels who infested the area in late 1980s to early 90s as Adjumani District by then was one of the areas harboring the rebels.
But then now, coupled with burning of bushes in the dry spell, children are moving around the burnt bushes picking things anyhow for playing hence exposing them to such incidences.
Police warned members of the community and dealers in scrap metal business to guard against dealing with suspicious looking metallic objects found in the bushes as they could be bombs.
