At least a driver and seven passengers lost their lives on Saturday when their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device (IED) along the Maiduguri-Damboa-Biu highway.
The explosion, believed to be the work of Boko Haram insurgents, occurred near Gidan Kaji, an abandoned poultry farm in Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State.
According to reports, the tragic event happened around 11:30 a.m. as a convoy of private and commercial vehicles was being escorted by military troops from Damboa to Maiduguri. The convoy included several buses and cars traveling under military protection due to increasing security risks in the region.
One of the buses ran over the explosive, instantly killing the driver and seven passengers.
Many others were seriously injured in the blast. Lawan Maina, the District Head of Damboa, confirmed the incident through a phone call, saying, “A driver of a hummer bus and seven passengers died at the spot, while many others sustained various degrees of injury.”
He added that all survivors were quickly taken to the State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri for urgent medical care.
Governor Babagana Zulum later visited the hospital and directed that all injured victims receive free treatment. At the time of filing this report, the identities of the deceased were still being confirmed.
This tragic incident occurred just hours after former Commissioner of Trade and Commerce in Borno State, Hon. Yerima Lawan Kareto, criticized Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, for claiming that Borno State is safe. Kareto invited the Minister to personally visit troubled areas like Damasak to witness the real situation.
Kareto, who is from Damasak—a town close to the Niger Republic border—said he would drive the Minister himself so he can “see things for himself” before issuing statements from Abuja.
Last week, following an expanded security council meeting in Maiduguri, Governor Zulum had expressed deep concern over the worsening security, warning that Borno may be losing ground again to terrorists. He mentioned recent attacks and the dislodgement of military bases in places like Wulgo, Izge, and Sabon Gari as signs of growing insurgent activity.
In response, Minister Idris issued a statement insisting that security agencies are working hard to stabilize the situation. However, public reaction to his remarks was largely negative. The Minister’s media aide later denied that Idris dismissed Zulum’s warnings, calling such reports “categorically false.”
Still, Kareto insists a physical visit and public apology from the Minister are necessary to regain public trust. He noted, “Such statement is not enough to cool the high tensions raised on the resilient Borno people who have trust and confidence on Governor Babagana Zulum’s good governance.”
