)
Tragedy struck in Gujba LGA of Yobe State on Friday as two separate improvised explosive device (IED) blasts claimed the lives of at least four people and left 18 others injured.
According to reports by Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication covering the Lake Chad region, the first explosion occurred early Friday morning along the Goniri–Buni Yadi road near Bultaram village.
A commercial pickup van carrying traders to the weekly Buni Yadi market unknowingly ran over an IED, causing a deadly blast.
Three passengers were confirmed dead upon arrival at the Yobe State Specialist Hospital in Damaturu, while 18 others sustained various degrees of injuries and are currently receiving treatment.
ALSO READ: Fresh update emerges in tragic Abuja tanker explosion
Just hours later, a second explosion rocked the same area after an unidentified cyclist accidentally triggered another IED. He was rushed to Buni Yadi General Hospital but was declared dead on arrival.
While the police have yet to confirm the full casualty figures, Dungus Abdulkarim, spokesperson of the Yobe State Police Command, told TheCable that two people were injured.
He identified Bultaram village as a known terrorist hotspot and suggested that Boko Haram insurgents were likely behind the attacks.
In response, security agencies, including explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) units and local vigilantes, have been deployed to the area to carry out clearance operations and prevent further incidents.
Abdulkarim added that investigations are ongoing, and those responsible will be held accountable and brought to justice.
ALSO READ: Army, Police begin probe of explosion at metal scrap yard in Mushin