Nine Killed in Borno State as IED Explosion Hits Local Bus Stop in Guzamala

Borno State

Nine people have been killed and several others injured following the detonation of an improvised explosive device (IED) planted at a local bus stop in Mairari village, Guzamala Local Government Area of Borno State.

The explosion occurred at approximately 11 a.m. on Saturday, targeting passengers who were waiting to board commercial vehicles. The tragic incident has left the local community reeling, with injured victims transported to medical facilities in Monguno and Maiduguri for treatment.

Confirming the incident, the Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abdulkarim Lawan, expressed deep sorrow over the loss of life. “It is unfortunate that nine of my resilient constituents were killed by planted IEDs while waiting to board vehicles at a local bus stop in Mairari village. May Allah grant their souls Aljanatul Firdaus. I also pray for the swift recovery of those evacuated to hospitals,” he stated.

Lawan explained that Mairari village had been resettled twice with civil authority and was the only village in Guzamala LGA to have experienced such progress. However, persistent attacks from Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgents have continued to destabilize the region, leading many residents to flee to safer areas such as Monguno and Maiduguri.

“Many of the victims were farmers who often returned to Mairari from displacement camps to cultivate their lands. Unfortunately, the terrorists, having monitored their routines, planted explosives at the local bus stop which detonated while they were waiting to return to their destinations,” Lawan explained.

He extended condolences to the families of the deceased and the injured, and called on the Nigerian military and other security agencies to intensify efforts to reclaim Guzamala, including Gudumbali—the local government headquarters—as well as Mairari and other affected communities, which remain under the control of insurgents and lack civil governance.