A driver allegedly lost his life on Sunday when his yam-laden vehicle ran over an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) on Lumma-Babanna Road in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.
The explosion reportedly occurred around 2:00 pm on Sunday, at a point along an alternative route created after a bridge on the Lumma-Babanna border to Benin Republic was recently bombed.
It was gathered the IED was planted by suspected terrorists.
Earlier the same day, a motorcycle rider was shot dead by the assailants at the exact location after they planted the explosive.
This incident follows a previous attack on March 23, 2026, around 2:00 a.m., when suspected terrorists, believed to be operating from Kainji National Park, detonated an explosive device and destroyed a bridge connecting Lumma-Babanna-New Bussa to Agwara communities.
Security agencies indicated that the bombing was intended to disrupt operations in the area and allow terrorist activities to continue unchecked.
The bridge destruction has significantly disrupted economic activities, severing commercial links between communities in the area and Benin Republic.
When contacted, the Niger State Police Command Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed both the recent explosion and the earlier killing of the motorcycle rider.
In a separate incident, bandits reportedly kidnapped an unspecified number of artisanal miners at a mining site in Mai Dangi, near Mangoro, Mariga LGA.
Residents said the attackers stormed the site on Saturday afternoon, shooting a young girl who tried to flee.
The attacks have heightened insecurity in the state, disrupting livelihoods and raising fears among local communities.
