Armed bandits planted explosives along a major highway in northwest Nigeria’s Zamfara state, killing at least 12 travelers and wounding six others when their vehicle struck the device, witnesses and officials reported Wednesday.
The attack on the Dansadau-Gusau road marks an escalation in tactics by northwest Nigeria’s armed gangs, who have increasingly turned to placing explosives on major highways to target civilians and security forces.
“We urge the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities,” Joint Task Force spokesperson Abubakar Abdullahi said in a statement, confirming that military explosive ordnance disposal teams had been deployed to clear the area. The JTF is working with local authorities to investigate the attack and find the perpetrators.
Witnesses Bello Dansadau and Abubakar Ismail told Reuters they saw the aftermath of the explosion, which claimed a dozen lives when a vehicle struck the explosive device.
The incident highlights the growing security challenge in northwest Nigeria, where armed gangs, known locally as bandits, have established a pattern of raiding communities, conducting mass kidnappings of residents, farmers, students, and motorists for ransom.
