KONDUGA, Nigeria — At least eight people were killed and eleven others injured in an explosion on the Maiduguri-Damboa road in Borno State, northeastern Nigeria, on Saturday, April 12, 2025.
The blast, caused by an improvised explosive device (IED), targeted a commercial bus traveling from Damboa to Maiduguri, the state capital.
The incident took place at approximately 11:45 AM local time near Komala Village, in Konduga Local Government Area (LGA), as the vehicle, a Hummer Bus with registration number Jigawa MMR 144 XA, detonated the device believed to have been planted by Boko Haram or its affiliate group, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
“The explosion resulted in the deaths of eight individuals, including the driver, while eleven others sustained varying degrees of injury,” said Nahum Daso, spokesperson for the Borno State Police Command.
“The injured victims have been taken to the State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri for treatment.”
In response to the attack, Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State visited the victims in the hospital, ordering that they receive free medical care.
He also provided an immediate financial relief of N50,000 to each of the injured passengers.
The police, in cooperation with military forces, have initiated a joint clearance operation in the area, as the search for those responsible continues.
This attack is the latest in a series of incidents that have raised concerns over the resurgence of Boko Haram’s insurgency and its impact on security in the region.
On Tuesday, April 8, 2025, Governor Zulum expressed alarm over the increasing frequency of Boko Haram-related violence, including kidnappings, in Borno State.
“The resurgence of these attacks and kidnappings shows that the state is losing ground,” Zulum said.
“The recent dislodgement of military formations in several local government areas is a significant setback in our collective fight against insurgency.”
Borno State, which has been the epicenter of the Boko Haram insurgency, has experienced a rise in terrorist activities in recent months.
In March, an IED explosion in Biu LGA claimed the lives of four passengers and left several others injured.
