- Safiu Kehinde
The Zamfara State Police Command has on Saturday confirmed that some objects suspected to be improvised Explosive Devices (IED) exploded along the Magami–Dansadau Road in Maru Local Government area of the state, killing scores of commuters.
DSP Yazid Abubakar, the command’s Public Relations Officer, made confirmation to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), via a telephone conservation.
Abubakar, who declined further comments, said that the information available to command was sketchy.
He said the command was investigating to ascertain the cause of the incident.
The officer, however, promised to provide details of the explosion in compressive statement.
Meanwhile, an m eyewitness, Malam Yunusa Isah, who was part of an escorted convoy travelling along the road, in a separate interview, confirmed the incident to newsmen via telephone interview.
According to him, suspected bandits planted the triple explosives along the road between Maikogo and Mai’ayaya communities.
He explained that the explosions occurred while the convoys of vehicles were accompanied by security personnel along the road to Dansadau Emirate.
The eyewitness said the convoy was passing through the area when the blast reportedly destroyed two motorcycles and resulted in the death of four people.
“A second explosion later affected some trailer on the road, leading to the death of about five additional persons.
” The convoy was lengthy, and the point where the explosion occurred was towards the rear of the vehicles,” Isah added.
He further disclosed that security operatives attached to the convoy engaged the attackers in a gun duel and pursued them into the nearby pushes.
The eye witness further told NAN that a woman reportedly fell off a moving vehicle in panic following the incident and was accidentally ran-over by another vehicle, leading to her death.
He confirmed that security agencies had been reinforced in the area to ensure the safety of road users.