An improvised explosive device (IED) detonated early Wednesday, February 25, along the Gusau–Funtua highway in Zamfara State, destroying the head of a trailer conveying cement and temporarily disrupting traffic at Unguwar Mai Chida.
The truck, which was travelling from Sokoto to Kaduna, was severely damaged in the blast. However, no casualties were recorded.
The driver, identified as Dauda Adamu, was rescued alive following the explosion.
Security sources suspect the device was planted by armed bandits who have faced sustained pressure from ongoing military and police operations in the region.
Confirming the incident, Zamfara State Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Balarabe Maikaba, said combined tactical teams, including Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) units, had earlier detected and safely detonated multiple IEDs along the Kucheri–Danjibga–Keta axis.
He disclosed that operatives came under ambush during clearance operations but successfully repelled the attackers.
“The operatives survived the ambush, repelled the attackers, and succeeded in reopening the road to traffic,” Maikaba said.
“If not for their swift intervention, residents of the affected communities would have continued to face severe hardship, as the blockage disrupted the supply of food and other essential commodities.”
According to Hussaini Mohammed, a resident of the area, the explosion occurred just hours after a joint police and military team had cleared and reopened the Kucheri–Danjibga–Keta road in Tsafe Local Government Area, which had been inaccessible for more than a month due to planted explosives.
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“During the clearance operation, security operatives ran into an ambush and engaged the bandits in a gun duel that lasted several hours. The area was tense and chaotic,” Mohammed recounted.
He suggested that the device which struck the trailer might have been among those initially planted to target security personnel.
Another eyewitness, commercial driver Lawal Senior, described the blast as “extremely loud,” triggering panic among motorists.
“Many drivers stopped and watched from afar until the military and other security personnel arrived to secure and clear the road,” he said.
He added that he assisted in pulling the injured driver from the damaged vehicle.
Authorities have assured residents that joint security operations will continue, with additional tactical deployments aimed at restoring full normalcy and preventing further attacks along the critical transport corridor.
The latest incident underscores the fragile security situation in parts of Zamfara, where highways remain lifelines for commerce and the supply of essential goods to communities already grappling with prolonged insecurity.