A bomb explosion on Saturday claimed the lives of nine passengers travelling along the Maiduguri-Damboa road in Borno State, North-East Nigeria.
According to eyewitnesses, the explosion occurred around noon. Motorists who arrived at the scene shortly after said the impact was devastating and caused a temporary gridlock, as passersby and sympathisers gathered before security personnel arrived to evacuate the bodies.
A motorist, Aminu Ismaila, told PUNCH Online, “I passed the road this afternoon, and although I didn’t witness the explosion itself, I saw a crowd gathered at the location. Security agents were conducting a clearance operation, which delayed traffic briefly.”
Another eyewitness, who asked not to be named, described the scene as horrific. “The bus was destroyed beyond recognition. It was clearly not a crash—this was a blast. What we heard was that the vehicle stepped on an explosive device planted near the roadside. All nine passengers died instantly.”
As of press time, the Borno State Police Command had not released an official statement confirming the nature of the explosion. When contacted, the command’s spokesperson, ASP Nahum Daso, said, “I am still gathering reports. I will provide a comprehensive update soon. I am currently making the necessary contacts.”
The Maiduguri-Damboa road has seen repeated attacks in the past, with previous incidents linked to Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), both of which are designated terrorist organizations by Nigeria and multiple international bodies.
Security forces have since been deployed to the area to ensure safety and begin investigations into the latest incident.