Tragedy struck again on the Maiduguri–Damboa highway on Wednesday, June 25, after a roadside bomb killed four travellers and left ten others seriously injured.
The explosion occurred around 3:30pm at Komala village in Borno State, when a Suzuki pick-up truck ran over an improvised explosive device (IED) buried along the busy road.
Confirming the incident, spokesperson of the Borno State Police Command, ASP Nahum Daso, said, “I confirm that the incident happened. Four persons died and 10 sustained various degrees of injuries. They have been taken to the State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri.”
Eyewitnesses described the scene as chaotic. The blast brought traffic to a halt, causing a gridlock that left motorists stranded for hours.
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“We met serious gridlock before we were able to pass,” one passenger recounted.
This marks the second attack on the same stretch of road in just over two months. On April 12, a Hummer bus travelling the same route hit another IED planted by suspected Boko Haram terrorists, killing eight people and injuring eleven.
The Maiduguri–Damboa road remains one of the most volatile in Borno State, with insurgents frequently targeting travellers using makeshift explosives.
Authorities say investigations are ongoing as they try to prevent further attacks along the route.