At least eight persons lost their lives and others sustained varying degrees of injuries when a hummer bus stepped on landmines along Maiduguri-Damboa on Saturday morning.
Business Day learnt that the incident occurred at about 11:45 am in the Damboa local government area of the state.
According to motorist Baba Musty, a commercial driver, the Hummer bus was damaged beyond repair due to the magnitude of explosive devices.
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“I was coming from Damboa to Maiduguri; we got to certain locations when the soldiers stopped us to wait for them to conduct clearance of the general areas. But eight passengers lost their lives, and others were severely wounded, but they have been evacuated to the Maiduguri Specialist Hospital .”
Muhammad Aji, a local vigilante in Damboa, also told our Correspondent by phone that a commercial bus rammed into landmines buried by suspected Boko Haram terrorists at Gidan Kaji, some 30 kilometres away from Damboa town.
When contacted, Kenneth Daso, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), the state police public relations said he was not aware but promised to get back, “I am still gathering reports about the incident. Thank you, sir.”
It would be recalled that recently, Boko Haram terrorists/ISWAP fighters had intensified attacks on military formations and killings of soldiers around the Damboa axis.
