FILE: Terrorists group
No fewer than 11 persons have died and five were injured when two vehicles drove over landmines in Gamboru-Ngala and Dikwa local government areas of Borno State over the last week.
Those dead comprise nine personnel of the Civilian Joint Task Force, who died last Saturday, April 27 at Gamboru-Ngala LGA, and two civilians, who died Saturday, May 4 at Dikwa LGA.
“Our personnel drove out of Ngala in the afternoon of last week Saturday; and just at the outskirts of the town, their vehicle drove over a landmine suspected to have been planted by terrorists,” Borno State CJTF spokesman, Bashir Abbas, disclosed to The PUNCH.
“Nine of them died on the spot and two got serious injuries and were rushed to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, as the vehicle was completely damaged,” he confirmed.
Also confirming the report, a credible Borno Police Command source said, ”At about 1 pm today (Saturday, May 4), a Honda Jeep drove over a landmine between Dikwa and Damno in Dikwa LGA, which blasted, killing two persons and injuring three others, all civilians.”
However, an eyewitness, Rawa Fannami, a resident of Dikwa, confirming the Damno-Dikwa incident, told The PUNCH, “Five persons died on the spot when the vehicle drove over the landmine.”
Fannami explained that the fated vehicle was part of a wedding convoy conveying a bride from Damno to Dikwa. I was not the vehicle carrying the bride.
He said the shattered remains of the deceased could only be gathered in sacks for burial.
The PUNCH has earlier reported that many persons now die in landmine explosions suspected to either have been planted at the peak of the insurgency or currently as part of new strategies by the terrorists when they cannot carry out other forms of attack.
Up to the time of filing this report, 7 Div spokesman, Lt Col Ajemusu Jingina could not be reached for comments on how the military will combat the new strategies by the terrorists.