… Govt officials visit, pay hospital bills

From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi

Not fewer than seven pupils of LGEA Primary School, Ater, Aterayange Ward in Ukum Local Government Area, (LGA), of Benue State, have cheated death after sustaining serious injuries when an explosive device went off on their school premises.

Our correspondent gathered that the explosion which occured on Tuesday September 16, 2025, left the children with varying degrees of injuries.

The Education Secretary of Ukum LGA, Mr Felix Igbanongo who confirmed the incident to our correspondent said “On Tuesday, the little kids went to school early in the morning and they saw a device and started playing with it. Not knowing what it is, they played with it until one of them began to remove the pin.

“Then the whole thing blasted so loudly that the villagers on hearing the explosion scattered in different directions out of fear, thinking it was an attack. It was until later that they discovered it was their children who were lying unconscious on the ground. But thank God none is dead.”

“As to who dropped the device, we cannot tell for now because we are not sure where it came from.”

Igbanongo said the Ukum chairman who responded swiftly evacuated all the children to St Anthony hospital Zaki-Biam, where the are being treated. The children include Abigail Terseer, a primary five pupil, William Msaaga and Tyolumun Deborah both of Primary six, Terseer Mhenuter, primary three Mzungwega Mnengeuter and Aondohemba Luper of primary two and one respectively.

He further explained that one of the children whose eyes were seriously injured has been referred to Makurdi, the state capital, for proper treatment .

Meanwhile, officials of the Benue State Government led by the Executive Chairman, Benue State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr. Grace Adagba, has, on Thursday, visited the pupils at St. Anthony’s Hospital, Zaki-Biam to ascertain their health condition.

The SUBEB Chairman who was accompanied by the Commissioner for Education and Knowledge Management, Dr. Margaret Adamu, and the Ukum LGA Chairman, Jonathan Modi among others, explained that the delegation visited to assess the condition of the affected pupils, as well as the level of damage to the school.

She said “These children are very dear to us and to the Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia. We are here to ensure that their situation improves and that they are taken back to school as soon as possible.”

She assured that immediate steps would be taken to commence repairs on the school facility.

The Commissioner for Education, Dr. Magareth Adamu appreciated the Chairman of Ukum LGA for his prompt intervention in ensuring the wellbeing of the children.

She also commended the management of St. Anthony’s Hospital for providing timely medical attention and expressed confidence in God for the speedy recovery of the children.

Earlier, the Ukum chairman, Jonathan Modi said investigations were ongoing to ascertain the source of the explosive device.

He explained that he was away on official assignment when the incident occurred but immediately directed that the victims be taken to a good hospital for urgent treatment. He further revealed that three of the victims were already set to be discharged, while one with a severe eye injury would be referred to Makurdi for specialized care.

The Managing Director of St. Anthony’s Hospital, Rev. Sr. Susan Tonguve (SON), confirmed that the children had been stabilized, with only one still facing a serious eye challenge. She assured that the hospital was doing everything possible to treat them effectively.

Responding on behalf of the parents of the affected children, Mr Mnzungwega Yongo, appreciated the Benue State Government for responding immediately to the situation.

Also on the visit team, the Director General of Special Projects, Benue State, Professor Akpen expressed plans to visit the affected school to assess the extent of damage and initiate plans for repairs.

A Statement signed by Information Officer Benue SUBEB, Emmanuella Emmanuella Akese and made available to the Sun on Saturday said the SUBEB Chairman, Dr Grace Adagba, Commissioner for Education, Magareth Adamu and the team cleared all medical bills of the affected pupils during the hospital visit.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Benue state command, DSP Udeme Edet, confirmed the incident. She stated that on getting the information, a team of Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) was immediately deployed to assess the environment.