A bomb planted by bandits destroyed a bridge in Maru Local Government Area, Zamfara State, on Sunday, killing one person.
According to residents, the explosive was set by the attackers as part of their plan to raid Unguwar Galadima, a community in the area.
AFRIPOST gathered that the armed group was attempting to avenge the death of their leader, Sani Black, who was killed by local vigilantes in September.
Sani Black was a key figure in the rise of terrorism in Zamfara and had strong ties to the late Tsoho Buhari and Halilu Sububu, both of whom were also prominent bandit leaders.
Recall Sububu himself was killed in an ambush on September 13. Bandits loyal to Black reportedly led the failed attack on Unguwar Galadima but suffered heavy losses, abandoned their weapons and fled.
Unbeknownst to the residents, the bandits had planted the explosive near a bridge connecting Unguwar Galadima to Dansadau town.
The bomb was intended to prevent soldiers stationed in Dansadau from reaching the community to counter the attack.
A resident, Haruna Isyaku, revealed that the bomb detonated when a lone driver used the route.
The driver’s vehicle was destroyed, and the victim was killed. “The soldiers stationed at Dansadau, about two kilometres away, could have easily intervened, so the bandits planted the bomb to target them,” Isyaku explained.
Fear has now spread among residents of Dansadau and surrounding areas over the use of explosives by the bandits.
Attempts to contact Suleiman Omale, spokesperson for Operation Hadarin Daji, for comments on the incident were unsuccessful as his phone was unreachable on Sunday evening.