At least nine people have been confirmed dead following the detonation of an improvised explosive device (IED) at a bus stop in Mairari village, Guzamala Local Government Area of Borno State. The blast, which occurred around 11 a.m. on Saturday, also left several others injured.
The speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Abdulkarim Lawan, confirmed the incident on Sunday, describing it as “unfortunate.” He said the victims were residents waiting to board vehicles at a local bus stop in the village.
“It is unfortunate that nine of my resilient constituents were killed by planted IEDs while waiting to board vehicles at a local bus stop in Mairari village,” Lawan was quoted as saying. “May Allah grant their souls Aljanatul Firdaus. I also pray for the swift recovery of those evacuated to hospitals in Monguno and Maiduguri for treatment following the incident.”
According to Lawan, the victims were mostly returnees and displaced persons who had gone back to Mairari to engage in farming. He explained that Mairari had previously been resettled with civil authority but had once again become deserted due to attacks by Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
He added that insurgents, who had been monitoring the movement of the villagers, planted the explosives at the bus stop. The IEDs exploded while people were waiting to board commercial vehicles back to their temporary shelters in Monguno, Guzamala, and Maiduguri.
Lawan extended condolences to the bereaved families and called on the Nigerian military to intensify efforts to restore security in Guzamala, particularly in Mairari and Gudumbali, the council headquarters, both of which he said remain under Boko Haram control with no presence of civil authority.
When contacted, Nahum Daso, spokesperson for the Borno State Police Command, said he had yet to receive full details of the incident but promised to provide updates as more information becomes available.