Eight passengers were killed on Saturday after a commercial bus ran over a roadside bomb planted by Boko Haram insurgents along the Maiduguri-Damboa-Biu highway in Borno State.
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The explosion occurred around 11:30 a.m. near Gidan Kaji, also known as Poultry House, in Konduga Local Government Area. The area has been deserted for over a decade due to repeated attacks by insurgents.
Among the dead was the bus driver, while several others sustained serious injuries and were rushed to the State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri.
Governor Babagana Umara Zulum visited the injured victims and directed that they receive free medical treatment. He expressed concern over the increasing frequency of such attacks and stressed the urgent need for stronger collaboration to defeat insurgency.
The District Head of Damboa, Lawan Maina, confirmed that the bodies of the deceased were being identified, while medical personnel treating the injured.
This incident comes just days after Borno Governor Babagana Zulum warned that the state is losing ground in the battle against Boko Haram. He raised concerns over the resurgence of attacks and urged the federal government to provide more military support and modern technological tools to help reclaim and secure vulnerable communities.