Anxiety as IED explosion kills 8 travellers along Maiduguri Highway

At least eight people, including a bus driver and seven passengers, have been confirmed dead in a tragic bomb explosion along the Maiduguri-Damboa-Biu highway on Saturday, April 12, 2025.

The vehicle reportedly hit an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) suspected to have been planted by Boko Haram terrorists, leaving several others critically injured.

The blast occurred around 11:30 am near Gidan Kaji, popularly known as Poultry House, in Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State.

This location has been abandoned for years due to persistent Boko Haram activities in the region.

Eyewitness accounts revealed that the victims were part of a convoy of private and commercial vehicles escorted by troops from Damboa to Maiduguri.

The wounded were evacuated to the State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri, where Governor Babagana Zulum later visited and directed that they be treated free of charge.

District Head of Damboa, Lawan Maina, confirmed the deaths and described the incident as deeply saddening. He called on the federal government and security agencies to intensify efforts to combat the insurgency and prevent further loss of lives.

Meanwhile, the blast came just hours after a heated public exchange between former Borno Commissioner of Trade, Hon. Yerima Lawan Kareto, and the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.

The Minister had earlier claimed that Borno State was safe, contradicting reports of increased terrorist activity.

Kareto lambasted the Minister’s statement and extended a personal invitation for Idris to visit Borno and join him on a drive to Damasak, a town near the Niger Republic border, to witness the situation first-hand.

“Statements from the comfort of Abuja cannot replace the bitter reality on ground,” Kareto said in a press statement. “Let the Minister see what we live through before saying Borno is safe.”

The rift followed recent comments by Governor Zulum, who chaired an expanded security council meeting last Tuesday and warned that the state may be gradually losing control to terrorists, citing fresh attacks and dislodged military formations across several communities.

The Information Minister’s office initially denied that he dismissed Zulum’s concerns, claiming the comments attributed to him were false.

But Kareto insisted the damage had been done and called for a public apology from Idris.

“Only an open visit and apology can ease the pain caused by the Minister’s remarks,” Kareto added. He also reaffirmed the people’s trust in Governor Zulum’s leadership and his consistent support to frontline troops battling the insurgency.

The incident and ongoing tensions highlight the fragile security situation in Borno State and the urgent need for collaborative action between federal and state authorities to tackle the growing threat of terrorism in the North East.