Nine people were killed when Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) detonated at a bus stop in Mairari Village, Guzamala Local Government Area of Borno State on Saturday, according to local officials.

The Speaker of Borno State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abdulkarim Lawan, confirmed the incident on Sunday, stating that the explosives, suspected to have been planted by Boko Haram terrorists, exploded around 11 am as villagers waited to board vehicles.

"It is unfortunate that nine of my resilient constituents were killed by planted IED today (Saturday) while waiting to board vehicles at a local bus stop in Mairari village. May Allah grant their souls Aljanatul Firdaus," Lawan said.

Several other villagers sustained injuries in the blast and have been evacuated to hospitals in Monguno and Maiduguri for medical treatment.

Persistent Insecurity in Guzamala

The Speaker highlighted that Mairari village, which had been resettled twice with civil authority, now stands deserted again due to repeated Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) attacks.

"As resilient people, most of them who are taking refuge in Monguno, Guzamala and Maiduguri usually visits Mairari community and engaged in their farms," Lawan explained, describing the difficult circumstances faced by displaced residents who continue to visit their ancestral lands.

The Speaker appealed to the military and other security agencies to intensify efforts to restore order in the area, specifically calling for the military to take over the entire Guzamala local government area, which he described as remaining "under Boko Haram territory."

"I know that the newly deployed Theatre Commander of North East 'Operation Hadin Kai', Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar and his troops are doing well in the fight against Boko Haram/ISWAP. Let me reiterate my appeal for the military to take over the entire Guzamala local government area which has remained under Boko Haram territory, so as to restore civil authority," he emphasized.

The attack comes amid ongoing counterinsurgency operations in Borno State, where security forces continue to battle Boko Haram and ISWAP militants who have maintained a presence in parts of northeastern Nigeria for over a decade.