The Zamfara State Police Command has confirmed that an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by suspected bandits on Wednesday damaged a truck on the Gusau-Funtua highway.
The command’s spokesperson, Yazeed Abubakar, told PREMIUM TIMES that no one was killed in the incident.
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According to Mr Abubakar, the police Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit was immediately dispatched to the scene to sweep the area and prevent further incidents.
The blast occurred just hours after a joint team of police and military operatives reopened the Kucheri-Danjibga-Keta road in the Tsafe Local Government Area.
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The highway had been inaccessible for over a month due to the threat of landmines planted by suspected terrorists.
A resident, Bawa Alhaji, reported that security forces encountered stiff resistance during the clearance operation, leading to a gun battle that lasted several hours.
He suggested that the IED which struck the truck might have been part of explosives targeted at security personnel.
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He described the blast as “extremely loud,” triggering panic among motorists. Many road users remained at a safe distance until the security agents secured the perimeter.
READ ALSO: Kaduna police announce dismantling of bandits’ camps, suspected gunrunners’ arrest
“Many drivers stopped and watched from afar until the military and other security personnel arrived to secure and clear the road,” Mr Alhaji said.
This incident follows a similar attack last Thursday, where a Nigerian Army Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) struck a landmine along the Keta-Danjibga road, also within the Tsafe local government area.
PREMIUM TIMES reported how the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 8 Division and Commander Sector 2 of the Joint Task Force North West Operation Fansan Yamma, Bemgha Koughna, a major general, survived an ambush by suspected terrorists in neighbouring Kebbi State.
The general narrowly escaped a similar trap. While leading a specialised clearance operation aimed at flushing out bandits from their strongholds in the Northwest region, the GOC’s convoy was reportedly targeted by IEDs and heavy gunfire.
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