At least eight travellers were killed on Saturday when an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated along the Maiduguri-Damboa road in Borno State.
The blast, which left 14 others critically injured, occurred as a convoy of private and commercial vehicles, escorted by security personnel, was travelling from Damboa to Maiduguri, the state capital.
According to reports, the explosion took place near an abandoned poultry farm in Konduga Local Government Area, a site long deserted due to Boko Haram activity.
Governor Babagana Zulum visited the injured victims at the hospital, directing that they receive free medical care. He also provided N50,000 in cash to each victim as immediate relief.
Just days earlier, on April 8, Zulum raised concerns over the resurgence of Boko Haram attacks and kidnappings across Borno. He warned that the renewed violence suggests the state is losing ground in the fight against insurgency.
He also described the recent withdrawal of military formations from some local government areas as a “significant setback” in efforts to combat terrorism.
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Borno has witnessed a series of deadly attacks in recent weeks. On March 21, four passengers were killed and four others injured after an IED exploded beneath a commercial vehicle in Biu LGA.
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