LAGOS, Nigeria
At least 10 people were killed and seven injured after a commercial vehicle struck an improvised explosive device (IED) allegedly planted by terrorists along the Bagega–Anka road in northwestern Nigeria’s Zamfara State, police sources said Thursday.
The explosion occurred around 6.15 pm (1715GMT) Monday when a Volkswagen Golf wagon carrying passengers from Bagega to Anka in the Anka Local Government Area ran over the device, according to security sources.
The blast destroyed the vehicle and left multiple casualties, with the injured taken to medical facilities.
Zamfara State police spokesperson Yazid Abubakar told Anadolu that a joint security team comprising of operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit of the State Police Command and Civil Security Volunteers, under the leadership of the police commissioner, have been deployed to secure the route and prevent additional attacks. Investigations into the latest explosion are ongoing.
The explosive was reportedly planted by terrorists, locally referred to as bandits, who have for years operated in Zamfara and neighboring states, carrying out kidnappings, killings and attacks on rural communities.
The blast added to growing concerns about the increasing use of explosive devices by criminal groups in northwestern Nigeria, a region plagued by persistent insecurity despite ongoing military operations.
The Bagega–Anka road has witnessed a series of similar attacks in recent months. In May, at least six people were killed and several others injured after another commercial vehicle reportedly ran over an IED on the same route. Following that attack, security agencies conducted clearance operations and temporarily restricted movement along the road.
Zamfara remains one of the states most affected by bandit violence in Nigeria. Armed groups operating from forest enclaves across the region have increasingly targeted roads, villages and travelers, raising fears over the evolving tactics of the gangs and the spread of explosive devices beyond Nigeria’s northeast, where such weapons have historically been associated with insurgent groups.
