Borno State senator says there is an urgent need to provide the military and other security operatives with sophisticated weapons to end the rampant killings and destruction.

Twenty-six people – including four adult women and six children – have been killed in a landmine attack in the Kala-Balge Local Government Area of Borno State n Nigeria’s northeast.

The blast occurred at about 11am on Monday, April 28, when a passenger vehicle drove over an improvised explosive device (IED).

Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters claimed responsibility for the blast in a Telegram statement posted on Tuesday. They confirmed the casualty figure.

Aftermath of the explosion

Local security personnel told Ndarason that at least 26 people were killed and 10 others wounded, three severely.

“At least 26 people, including 17 men, four women and six  children died in the blast,” he said. “Three people were severely wounded. One of them died in hospital on Tuesday morning.”

He said security personnel had collected the corpses for burial. Some of the bodies were burnt beyond recognition. The wounded were taken to hospital to be treated.

Road is not safe

A commercial driver told Ndarason that the vehicle was travelling to Gamboru Ngala town from Rann, the headquarters of Kala-Balge.

The incident took place about 11km from Rann.

He said: “It was a horrific incident that left many dead and at least three severely wounded. The vehicles involved were damaged beyond repair. They were wrecked.”

“Soldiers and Civilian Joint Task Force [CJTF] members, who arrived on the scene after the incident, rushed the wounded to hospital.

“One of the wounded was taken to Gamboru Ngala for treatment; the other two were taken to the Rann General Hospital. The wounded man who was taken to Gamboru Ngala later succumbed to his wounds.”

The driver said security on the road was not sufficient.

“Security is not enough. Honestly speaking, there is an urgent need for more boots on the ground,” he said. “There are no security checkpoints along the road. Security definitely needs to be beefed up. It is just not safe to travel on that road.”

He said both the drivers and passengers were terrified of using the road.

“This is an international road linking Nigeria to the Chad Republic and Cameroon. The road is economically important to all three countries. I urge the Borno State and the federal governments to take decisive measures to secure this road,” he said.

 In mourning

A resident of Gamboru Ngala, who asked to remain anonymous, said everyone in the town was in mourning.

“Markets are partially open and many have not been able to go out for their daily activities,” she said. “We are in shock. And we are sorry for the families who lost loved ones.

“Six children died in the blast – it is heartbreaking.

“We need more security personnel in the town because people are sick of living in fear all the time.

“This attack left many people devastated. We are calling on the government to improve security on all the highways to prevent further attacks. Many people are scared. We do not know what to do. Many of us want to leave the town because the security situation is so uncertain,” she said.

Landmine explosion on the Maiduguri-Damboa highway

Two soldiers have been killed in a landmine explosion along the Maiduguri-Damboa highway.

The incident occurred on Tuesday, April 29, when members of the anti-bomb squad unit were clearing the road for passengers.

“The soldiers were clearing the road when we heard loud explosions. Two soldiers were killed,” a resident of Damboa told Ndarason. “The attack did not stop the military from escorting passengers to Maiduguri. All the passengers are safe.”

The IED exploded near the deserted Nyeliri village in the Konduga Local Government Area.

Surge in the number of attacks

Referring to the surge in the number of insurgent attacks in Borno State, senator Mohammed Ali Ndume (All Progressives Congress, Borno South) called on the federal government to provide the “needed sophisticated weapons to the security agencies to end the rampant killings and destruction in the zone”.

AYSHA MUSTAPHA KOLOMI