A bomb suspected to be planted by bandits exploded, killing no fewer than twelve people in Yar Tasha village, Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State on Wednesday.
The incident, according to Daily Trust, occurred around 8am this morning after a commercial driver conveying passengers to Dansadau town ran on the device suspected to be planted by bandits.
This is the second time an explosive device would be planted along Dansadau Road within a week.
Last Sunday, a similar device suspected to also be planted by bandits exploded in an 18-seater bus, killing the driver, who was the sole occupant.
A resident of Yar Tasha village, who did not want to be named, said the driver of the car, a Volkswagen Golf Model, ran into the device and it instantly exploded, shattering the vehicle into pieces.
He said, “We recently conducted community work on the road and the bandits used that opportunity to plant the device at one of the spots.
“The victims were rushed to Dansadau General Hospital and no body can ascertain whether they are dead 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 eyes on them. This is a terrible method deployed by the bandits and it needs to be tackled as soon as possible.”
