Explosion rocks Gusau–Funtua highway in Zamfara

 

An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) exploded early Wednesday along the Gusau–Funtua highway in Zamfara State, triggering panic and disrupting traffic.

The blast occurred near Unguwar Mai Chida village and damaged a cement-laden trailer travelling from Sokoto to Kaduna. The impact created a crater on the road and severely damaged the front of the truck. Fortunately, the driver was rescued alive and no fatalities were recorded.

Local sources said the device was suspected to have been planted by terrorists and detonated as the vehicle passed through the area.

A resident, Samaila, explained that the explosion happened just hours after a joint team of police and military personnel cleared and reopened the Kucheri-Danjibga-Keta Road in Tsafe Local Government Area, which had been shut for over a month due to planted explosives. He noted that security operatives had earlier faced resistance during the clearance operation, leading to hours of gunfire exchange.

According to him, the device that struck the trailer may have been among those originally planned to target security forces.

Another eyewitness, Lawali, a commercial driver, said motorists helped rescue the injured driver, identified as Dauda Adamu, from the wreckage. He described the explosion as deafening, causing many road users to stop at a safe distance until security operatives arrived to cordon off and clear the highway.

Confirming the incident in a telephone interview, the spokesperson for the Zamfara State Police Command, DSP Yazid Abubakar, said officers from the Explosive Ordnance Department had been deployed to the scene.

The incident comes days after a Nigerian Army Armoured Personnel Carrier reportedly struck a planted explosive along the Keta-Danjibga road in Tsafe Local Government Area.