An undisclosed number of travellers were killed on Wednesday when a vehicle carrying them hit explosives set by bandits along the Dansadau-Gusau Road in Zamfara State’s Maru Local Government Area.
According to an anonymous source, the bandits planted the explosives after completing community work on the route.
The source, a resident of Yar Tasha village, said, “We recently conducted community work on the road, and the bandits used that opportunity to plant the device at one of the spots.
“The victims were rushed to Dansadau General Hospital, and nobody can ascertain whether they are dead or alive for now. Security personnel comprising soldiers and police have been deployed to the scene of the incident.
“It appears that the bandits in Zamfara State have developed a new strategy of operation, especially in this Dansadau axis. This is the second time they would plant an explosive device in this area within a week. They planted one on Sunday.
“Government should take decisive measures to stop this trend; otherwise, travelling by road will now be a difficult thing among the people of the state. The security personnel and communities should be vigilant and always keep an eye on them. This is a terrible method deployed by the bandits, and it needs to be tackled as soon as possible.”
Another local, Abdullahi Dansadau, informed Channels Television that a Volkswagen Golf 3 vehicle detonated after running over the explosives, killing three people and injuring eight others.
“It was this morning; one Golf 3 vehicle stepped on the bomb and exploded. We have six dead bodies here now, and eight others sustained injuries. The vehicle was destroyed completely,” Dansadau said.
In a statement made available to the TV station, the Coordinator, Joint Media Coordination Centre, Joint Task Force North West Operation Fansar Yamma, Lit. Col. Abubakar Abdullahi, confirmed the occurrence, saying, “We acknowledge the reports regarding the suspected bandits planting explosives along the Dansadau-Gusau Road, which unfortunately led to some destruction.
“The safety and security of our citizens are of paramount importance. We are currently coordinating with local law enforcement to assess the situation and ensure that those responsible do not go free.”
When approached by our correspondent on the phone, Yazid Abubakar, Public Relations Officer, Zamfara State Police Command, indicated that he had not confirmed the event.
He also stated that he could not determine the number of dead or those injured.
He said, “At this moment, I don’t have such information, but I’ll call the DPO there to confirm whether the incident happened. I’ll get back to you.”
