No fewer than eight persons have been feared dead following an improvised explosive device attack in Niger State on Monday.
The incident, reportedly carried out by suspected terrorists, occurred along the Luma axis in Borgu Local Government Area, where a bridge linking Luma, Babana, and Agwara communities was also destroyed.
Sources told PUNCH Online that the explosive device, believed to have been planted overnight, first damaged the bridge, a critical route used by residents and traders travelling to the popular Babana border market, which holds every Monday.
Tragedy struck hours later when a vehicle travelling between Nuku and Woro ran over another IED at about 6:30 am, triggering an explosion that killed all eight occupants on board.
Confirming the development, the spokesperson for the Niger State Police Command, Wasiu Abiodun, said security agencies had launched a clearance operation in the area.
He said, “At about 6:30 am on March 23, 2026, we received a report that suspected terrorists had earlier, around 2 am, used an explosive device to destroy a bridge along Luma road in Borgu LGA.”
Abiodun added, “The bridge, which connects Luma, Babana, and Agwara communities, was significantly damaged during the attack. Unfortunately, a vehicle later triggered another explosive device in the same vicinity, leading to multiple casualties.”
He noted that security operatives were intensifying surveillance and clearance efforts to prevent further attacks and ensure the safety of residents.
“Monitoring is ongoing, and clearance operations have been stepped up across the affected areas,” he said.
The attack has heightened concerns over the increasing use of explosives by armed groups in parts of Niger State, particularly in remote communitiy with limited security presence.
