A net cast by children fishing in a drain in the Bulumkutu area of Maiduguri, Borno State, yielded several live anti-aircraft ammunition.

Sources in the area suspected that the ammunition were abandoned by Boko Haram terrorists.

A source said when the children noticed the unfamiliar objects, they alerted the authorities, leading to a significant recovery, which made the military to promptly cordon off the area.

A witness told our correspondent that, “The children are very young. The oldest is 13. They usually fish for fingerlings when the water begins to dry. But this time, instead of fish, they scooped up large quantities of bullets and power banks, which scared everyone in the area.” He added that security operatives, including the army, police and the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) conducted operations in the area.

Another resident, who gave his name as Mallam Bishir, said, “What worries most residents is the history of this place. Some notorious Boko Haram members lived here before being chased out by the Civilian JTF. People believe the ammunition was abandoned by those terrorists, and now everyone is very cautious, especially around mosques.”

A video clip, seen by our reporter, shows a group of 11 children seated on the ground, receiving commendations and cash rewards from security personnel attached to Sector 9 for their vigilance.

Daily Trust further reports that the incident occurred amid heightened security concerns in Borno and the neighbouring Yobe and Adamawa states where deadly bomb explosions and foiled suicide attacks had been recorded in recent weeks.

Earlier, troops of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) arrested the mastermind of the bomb explosion that killed five people and injured 34 others when a suicide bomber detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) inside a mosque in Maiduguri.

The arrest was disclosed in a statement by the operation’s spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, who described the suspect, Sheriff Umar, as a key coordinator of suicide bombing activities linked to recent attacks and attempted attacks in the North East. (Daily Trust)