Join our Telegram group and receive breaking and trending news updates directly on your phone.
Join for News Updates âś•
By Correspondent in Minna.
The damaged bridge.
Panic has gripped communities in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State as armed men suspected to be terrorists detonated an explosive device on a critical bridge linking Nuku and Woro, killing some travellers and cutting off a vital route.
Our correspondent gathered that the Monday midnight attack, which occurred around 2:00 a.m., shattered the fragile calm that had followed the recent Eid-el-Fitr celebrations, leaving residents in fear and uncertainty.
Eyewitnesses said the attackers planted an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) along the Luma road, a strategic corridor connecting Wawa, Babanna, and surrounding border communities to carry out their heinous crime.
Tragedy, however ,struck when a driver, unknowingly, drove a vehicle over the device, triggering a powerful explosion that reportedly killed all occupants believed to be travellers.The exact number of casualties, however, remains unclear.
By dawn, the full impact of the destruction had begun to unfold. The damaged bridge, a lifeline for movement and commerce in the area, was rendered impassable, effectively crippling vehicular traffic and disrupting economic activities.
Local traders, many of whom depend on the bustling Babanna Monday market for their livelihoods, told our correspondent that the development has thrown into confusion and panic.
“The bombing of the bridge has created fear among traders. “People are afraid to come out.
“The market that usually attracts people from different communities is now deserted,”a resident,who spoke on the condition of anonymity told our correspondent via telephone.
The Reporters said that Babanna market, a major cross-border trading hub, is known for drawing large crowds every Monday.
Residents of the area expressed concern that its disruption underscores the far-reaching consequences of the attack, not just on mobility but also on the local economy.
They added that the incident is part of a troubling pattern of escalating violence in Borgu and neighbouring Agwara Local Government Areas, where communities have reportedly endured months of attacks with little respite.
“This is not the first time.We have been under siege for months. Yet, there seems to be no decisive action to restore normalcy,”another local source lamented.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Police Command in Niger state,SP.Wasiu A. Abiodun, said the attack was reported to the command at about 6:30 a.m.
“Preliminary information indicates that at about 2:00 a.m., suspected terrorists operating within the National Park forest used explosive devices to bomb a bridge along Luma road in Borgu LGA, connecting Luma, Babanna, and Agwara communities,” he said.
Abiodun explained that the apparent motive behind the attack was to obstruct security operations in the area.
“The bridge was damaged by the hoodlums to hinder security movement. However, monitoring is ongoing, and clearance operations have been intensified,” he added.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
