By Amah
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An unspecified number of commuters were on Wednesday killed in Zamfara State when the vehicle conveying them ran over explosives allegedly planted by bandits.
The attack took place along the Dansadau-Gusau Road, at Yar Tasha village, Maru Local Government Area of the state.
Reports have bandied different casualty figures, from seven to 13 dead.
This was the second such attack in the area within a week by the bandits believed to be avenging the death of their leader, Sammy Black in September.
The first attack was took place on Sunday when an 18-seater vehicle was also blown up, killing its sole occupant.
In the Wednesday incident, a resident, who was identified as Abdullahi Dansadau, disclosed that a Volkswagen Golf 3 vehicle exploded after it ran over the explosives, killing three people, and leaving eight others injured.
Speaking with Channels Television, Dansadau said: “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.”
Confirming the incident in a statement made available to the TV station, Lt. Col. Abubakar Abdullahi, the Coordinator, Joint Media Coordination Centre, Joint Task Force North West Operation Fansar Yamma, said: “We acknowledge the reports regarding the suspected bandits planting explosives along the Dansadau-Gusau Road, which unfortunately led to some destruction.
“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.”
