An Improvised Explosive Device detonated early Wednesday along the Gusau–Funtua highway in Zamfara State, severely damaging a trailer transporting cement at Unguwar Mai Chida and temporarily disrupting vehicular movement.
Security sources suspect the device was planted by armed bandits operating in the area, amid intensified military and police operations targeting criminal hideouts across the state.
Details of the explosion
The blast reportedly destroyed the front cabin of the truck, which was en route from Sokoto to Kaduna. The driver, identified as Dauda Adamu, survived the explosion and was rescued alive. No fatalities were recorded.
Eyewitnesses said the explosion caused panic among motorists, forcing drivers to halt at a safe distance until security personnel secured the area.
Security response and clearance operations
Confirming the incident, the Zamfara State Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Balarabe Maikaba, disclosed that combined tactical units, including Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams, had earlier detected and safely detonated multiple IEDs along the Kucheri–Danjibga–Keta corridor in Tsafe Local Government Area.
According to him, operatives came under attack during the clearance exercise but successfully repelled the assailants and reopened the road to traffic.
He noted that without the swift intervention of security forces, communities in the affected axis would have faced severe hardship due to disruption in the transportation of food items and essential goods.
Ongoing operations against banditry
Residents revealed that the explosion occurred just hours after a joint police and military team cleared and reopened the Kucheri–Danjibga–Keta road, which had reportedly remained inaccessible for over a month due to planted explosives.
An indigene, Hussaini Mohammed, stated that security personnel encountered an ambush during the operation, resulting in a prolonged exchange of gunfire that left the area tense.
He suggested that the IED that struck the trailer may have been among devices originally planted to target security operatives.
Another eyewitness, a commercial driver identified as Lawal Senior, said he assisted in pulling the driver from the damaged truck head. He described the explosion as extremely loud, adding that motorists stayed back until military personnel declared the road safe.
Security outlook
CP Maikaba assured residents that joint security operations would continue across vulnerable routes in Zamfara State, with additional tactical deployments aimed at restoring full normalcy.
The Gusau–Funtua highway remains a critical transport corridor linking parts of the North-West, and repeated attacks have heightened concerns over the security of major highways in the region.
Authorities have urged motorists to remain vigilant and report suspicious movements as counter-banditry operations intensify across the state.
