A suspected bandit attack involving an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) has claimed the life of one passenger and left several others injured along the Kurawa–Sabon Birni road in Sokoto State.
The incident occurred on Sunday when a commercial vehicle travelling from surrounding communities to Sabon Birni reportedly ran over an explosive device believed to have been planted by suspected bandits.
The explosion severely damaged the vehicle, killing one occupant instantly while several other passengers sustained varying degrees of injuries.
The latest attack has heightened concerns over the growing use of improvised explosive devices by criminal groups operating across parts of Nigeria’s North-West region.
Security analyst Bashir Guyawa disclosed the incident in a post shared on his Facebook page, describing it as another indication of the worsening security situation along the Sokoto border communities.
According to him, the vehicle was carrying passengers on a routine trip to Sabon Birni when the explosion occurred.
“The vehicle was conveying passengers early this morning on their way to Sabon Birni when the unfortunate incident happened,” Guyawa wrote.
As of the time of filing this report, security agencies had not released an official statement on the explosion or confirmed the number of casualties.
The incident comes amid growing concerns over the evolving tactics being deployed by armed groups, including the alleged use of roadside explosive devices to target civilians and motorists travelling through vulnerable communities in the North-West.
