New details have emerged regarding the tragic explosion that claimed at least seven lives on Saturday in Zamfara State. The victims were killed when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) detonated along the Magami–Dansadau highway in Maru Local Government Area.
PREMIUM TIMES reported how residents and official sources said the explosives appeared to have targeted travellers along the Gusau-Dansadau-Magami transit route. Locals said that the blast occurred in an area increasingly targeted by bandits.
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The spokesperson for the Joint Task Force ‘Operation Fansan Yamma’, David Adewusi, on Saturday identified the cause of the explosion as an IED planted by terrorists. However, his known phone contact didn’t connect on Sunday to provide details about the casualties.
The Magami–Dansadau road is considered one of the most dangerous highways in the state, frequently requiring military escorts for any safe passage.
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A resident, Haruna Bala, told PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday that the blast killed five people instantly, while two others later succumbed to their injuries at a hospital.
On Sunday, residents told PREMIUM TIMES that Saturday’s highway explosion is part of a series of tragic events that began on Friday. The violence initially erupted when soldiers and local vigilante groups launched an attack on armed bandits who were arriving for the weekly market in Magami.
Nuhu Babangida, a member of the International Human Rights, Crime Control and Conflict Resolution, said Saturday’s explosion was most likely a retaliation for Friday’s killings. He noted that the initial clash resulted in the death of several bandits.
Beginning of the conflict
Mr Babangida said soldiers and local vigilantes, on Friday, targeted and killed bandits coming for the weekly market, after the vigilantes accused them of violating a standing peace dialogue.
This dialogue was originally intended to prevent kidnappings along the Dansadau-Gusau-Magami highway.
A notorious bandit leader, Dogo Gide, is known to operate in the Magami area. His group, along with other terror factions, is known to frequent the Magami weekly market to sell rustled cattle.
Incident details
Mr Babangida said the blasts occurred between Mai Ya’ya and Ruwan Dawa, approximately seven kilometres from Magami town.
He said the explosions occurred around 11:00 a.m. as a convoy of over 5,000 travellers, comprising open trucks, smaller vehicles, and motorcycles, was returning to the Dansadau District after the weekly Friday market in Magami town.
He said among the deceased was a teenage girl who tragically fell from an open truck during the chaos and was struck by an oncoming vehicle.
Despite the loss of life, Mr Babangida noted that casualties could have been significantly higher given the sheer size of the convoy.
He said security forces were deployed to the scene following the incident to recover the remains and secure the perimeter.
“Security agencies later cordoned off the area and diffused an undetonated bomb before allowing safe passage through the highway”, Mr Babangida said.
The state’s Commissioner for Information, Mahmud Dantawasa, didn’t respond to phone calls and text messages to comment on our findings.
Police spokesperson Yazid Abubakar confirmed the incident in a statement, noting that the explosion targeted a trailer, destroying the vehicle beyond recognition.
Mr Abubakar said the blast also claimed the lives of several individuals, including motorcycle riders who were in the vicinity at the time.
“At present, details regarding the exact number of casualties remain sketchy,” Mr Abubakar stated. “However, security operatives have been deployed to the scene. Efforts are ongoing to ascertain the total number of victims, secure the area, and prevent further harm.”
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While security agencies and state officials have yet to confirm casualty figures, residents said that the triple explosion claimed the lives of seven people, the majority of whom were traders.
Historic use of IEDs
In December last year, explosive devices planted by bandits at separate locations in the Dansadau District left over 15 people killed. Two explosions occurred on the road between Dansadau and Malamawa and another on Malele Road, all in the Dansadau District. PREMIUM TIMES also reported how at least 12 people were killed after an explosion blew off a bridge at Tashar Sahabi.
Dansadau sits on the edge of the massive Kuyambana Forest, which serves as a primary hideout and transit corridor for bandit groups moving between Zamfara, Kaduna, Niger, Kebbi and Katsina states.
Bandits in the North-west rely on small arms and motorcycles for “hit-and-run” raids. However, over the past 12 months, the use of landmines and IEDs appears to have increased.
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