In Nigeria’s restive northeast, at least 26 people were killed when a truck struck an improvised explosive device.
According to the military and residents of Borno State, close to the Cameroon border, the blast on Monday claimed the lives of men, women, and children. Violence has risen in recent days in the area, with Boko Haram and the ISIL affiliate in West Africa Province (ISWAP) serving as armed groups that have plagued the area for decades.
A military officer who spoke on condition of anonymity told the AFP news agency that “twenty-six people died in the explosion, which included 16 men, four women, and six children,” adding that three more seriously injured passengers were among those speaking.
No immediate comment was made by Borno State police.
In an internal memo released by the Reuters news agency, the International NGO Safety Organization claimed that vehicles moving between Rann and Gamboru Ngala struck an IED.
According to Akram Saad, a resident of the nearby town Rann, “I took part in the funeral of the 26 people who died in the explosion, most of whom were burned beyond recognition.”
A video captured rows of bodies lying on the morgue at Rann’s general hospital, each covered in white plastic bags.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, Boko Haram was the cause of the incident, according to Abba Amma Muhammad, whose mother was killed.
Violence erupts
Northeast Nigeria has experienced the uprising of Boko Haram, which has caused more than 40 000 deaths over the past 15 years. Despite the persistent attacks, the government claims that the groups have been largely defeated.
ISWAP is active in northern Borno, planting landmines along its roads and carrying out sporadic ambushes on trucks.
At least 50 people have been killed in northeast Nigeria as a result of the explosion, which comes as a result of recent violence.
According to sources earlier on Monday, Boko Haram claimed to have killed about 10 “vigilantes” from the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) in Adamawa.
According to a local official, the group in Borno’s Gwoza district murdered 14 farmers on Thursday.
