Travellers killed as vehicle runs over explosives planted by bandits on Zamfara road

An unconfirmed number of travellers were killed following a suspected bomb explosion in Yar Tasha village in the Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

According to Daily Trust, the incident occurred around 8am on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, when a commercial vehicle conveying the travellers ran on explosives suspected to have been planted by bandits along Dansadau-Gusau Road. 

“We recently conducted community work on the road and the bandits used that opportunity to plant the device at one of the spots,” a resident of Yar Tasha village, narrated.

“The victims were rushed to Dansadau General Hospital and nobody can ascertain whether they are d3ad or alive for now. Security personnel comprising soldiers and police have been deployed to the scene of the incident.

“It appears that the bandits in Zamfara State have developed a new strategy of operation, especially in this Dansadau axis. This is the second time they would plant an explosive device in this area within a week. They planted one on Sunday.

“Government should take decisive measures to stop this trend otherwise, travelling by road will now be a difficult thing among the people of the state. The security personnel and communities should be vigilant and always keep an eye on them. This is a terrible method deployed by the bandits and it needs to be tackled as soon as possible.”

Another resident of the area, identified as Abdullahi Dansadau, told Channels Television that a Volkswagen Golf 3 vehicle exploded after it ran over the explosives, killing three people, and leaving eight others injured.

“It was this morning, one Golf 3 vehicle stepped on the bomb and exploded. We have six dead bodies here now and eight others sustained injuries. The vehicle was destroyed completely,” Dansadau said.

The Coordinator, Joint Media Coordination Centre, Joint Task Force North West Operation Fansar Yamma, Lit. Col. Abubakar Abdullahi, confirmed the incident in a statement made available to the TV station.

“We acknowledge the reports regarding the suspected bandits planting explosives along the Dansadau-Gusau Road, which unfortunately led to some destruction,” he said. 

“The safety and security of our citizens are of paramount importance. We are currently coordinating with local law enforcement to assess the situation and ensure that those responsible do not go free.”