A female Nigerian Army soldier and two children sustained severe injuries in an accidental hand grenade detonation in Mararaba, along Abacha Road in Nasarawa State, on Christmas Eve.
The incident occurred around 11:46 am on 24 December 2025, when a resident discovered the device while cleaning her apartment and sought assistance from the soldier, identified only as Mohammed, to determine if it was still functional or should be discarded.
According to an internal incident report, preliminary investigations revealed that the grenade had been left in the compound three years earlier by an unidentified soldier deployed to the North East for counter-insurgency operations. The device was stored in his sister’s room, in the same compound where the injured soldier resided.
Upon handling the grenade for identification, it detonated immediately, causing severe damage to the female soldier’s left wrist and other parts of her body. The two children, belonging to the woman who presented the device, also suffered serious injuries.
The injured soldier was initially rushed to a private hospital in Keffi before being transferred to the Defence Headquarters Medical Centre in Mogadishu Cantonment, Abuja. She was later referred to Cedarcrest Hospital in Apo, where her condition has stabilised and she is responding to treatment.
No fatalities were recorded, and authorities have launched an ongoing investigation to establish the full circumstances, including how the explosive ended up in a civilian residence.
Director of Defence Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, stated he had not yet been briefed on the matter when contacted.
