{"id":53067,"date":"2024-11-06T13:20:38","date_gmt":"2024-11-06T12:20:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ndarason.com\/en\/?p=53067"},"modified":"2024-11-06T13:20:38","modified_gmt":"2024-11-06T12:20:38","slug":"seven-firewood-collectors-die-in-ied-blast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ndarason.com\/en\/seven-firewood-collectors-die-in-ied-blast\/","title":{"rendered":"Seven firewood collectors die in IED blast"},"content":{"rendered":"

Firewood association calls on Borno State governor to help the families of the deceased, saying they are poor and live hand to mouth \u2026 and now they have lost their breadwinners.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Seven firewood collectors have been killed in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in Borno State.
\nThe explosion occurred on the Maiduguri-Damboa highway at about 11am on Saturday, November 2.<\/p>\n

Lawan Ali, an elderly firewood collector, told RNI that IED explosions were commonplace and that many people had been killed or badly maimed in similar blasts.
\n\u201cThese attacks, usually by insurgents, are part of an ongoing effort to destabilise the region. Despite efforts by the military and local security operatives to address the threat, these attacks keep happening.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis time, firewood collectors were travelling as usual in two cars on the highway on their way to the forest in Damboa. Just outside Massa Fannari, one of the cars broke down on the side of the road. The other car overtook and shortly afterwards there was a loud explosion.
\n\u201cThe driver of the first vehicle, whose name is Bago, managed to get his car going and he and his passengers rushed to the wrecked vehicle. It was blown to bits and pieces. The corpses were hardly recognisable.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey managed to pick up three corpses, which they took back to Dalwa to be buried.
\n\u201cFamily members asked Bago to return to the site of the explosion to retrieve the bodies of their loved ones.<\/p>\n

\u201cA young tricycle rider said he would go with them to get the remaining corpses. He told the relatives he was prepared to sacrifice his own life as long as they recovered the bodies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ali said they were able to retrieve four more corpses.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn their way back, soldiers stopped them at Dalwa. They searched the vehicle and interrogated them. Fortunately, they were empathetic and gave the driver permission to continue the journey.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe traditional ruler of Dalwa conducted the funeral and the collectors were buried according to Islamic rites.\u201d<\/p>\n

Baba Gana, the public relations officer of the Firewood Collectors\u2019 Association in Borno State, said the explosion was tragic.
\n\u201cWhat happened was ordained by the Almighty. It is not something we could escape. We can\u2019t blame anyone for what happened. We know security operatives are doing their best to prevent such explosions. Sometimes we cannot explain why these things happen; we just have to accept it was meant to be.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis firewood business is the only source of income we have. It is the only skill we have acquired \u2013 to fell trees, turn it into firewood and then sell it. Most of us have been in this business for quite a while.
\n\u201cWe have lost farmers and firewood collectors in IED blasts before. Insurgents hide the devices so they are easy to miss. Security personnel conduct frequent patrols but even they sometimes do not see the IEDs on time.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll we are asking is for the Borno State governor [Babagana Umara Zulum] to help the families of the victims who died in the bomb blast. These people are poor and live hand to mouth. Now their breadwinners have been taken from them. In the present cost-of-living crisis, we don\u2019t know how they will survive.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe driver who was killed in the blast has a wife at home with a newborn who has not even been named yet. She is distraught. She has lost her beloved husband.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bulama Bukar Buji, an executive at the association, said: \u201cEven though this terrible tragedy happened, it will not stop others from going to collect firewood. It is their only source of income. As hard as it is, we just have to carry on as normal \u2013 even though we are in mourning.\u201d<\/p>\n

The chairman of the association, Alhaji Tujja Goni Ali Kopa, said: \u201cWhat happened was meant to happen \u2013 we cannot run from it. And we do not question Allah\u2019s way.
\n\u201cWe travel on the same route every day to collect firewood. Usually, we are escorted by security personnel. This time there was no security. But if it is meant to happen, security will not be able to stop it. We thank the Almighty that the road is safe again \u2013 for now at least.\u201d<\/p>\n

AYSHA MUSTAPHA KOLOMI<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Firewood association calls on Borno State governor to help the families of the deceased, saying they are poor and live hand to mouth \u2026 and now they have lost their […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":53068,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-53067","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ndarason.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53067"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ndarason.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ndarason.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ndarason.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/57"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ndarason.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53067"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ndarason.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53067\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":53069,"href":"https:\/\/ndarason.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53067\/revisions\/53069"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ndarason.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53068"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ndarason.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53067"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ndarason.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53067"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ndarason.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53067"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}