A soldier attached to Forward Operating Base (FOB) Aulari, under 202 Battalion of the Nigerian Army, has died following an accidental grenade explosion in Yobe State.

Military sources said the incident occurred at about 6:24 a.m. on May 26.

According to the sources, the soldier was handling an FN rifle loaded with a 96 Energa grenade when the explosive detonated unexpectedly.

The explosion reportedly affected the soldier’s face and left wrist, resulting in fatal injuries.

The sources noted that preliminary observations indicated that the weapon was not fired and that the safety catch remained engaged at the time of the incident.

They added that the upper part of the grenade exploded while the rear section remained attached to the muzzle of the rifle.

The corpse of the deceased soldier was evacuated to the 7 Division Medical Services and Hospital for further action. (Zagazola)