9 killed, dozens injured as bomb explosion rocks Borno bus stop

At least nine people are feared dead and several others injured after an explosion rocked a busy bus stop in Mairari village, located in Guzamala Local Government Area of Borno State.

The bom blast, which occurred around 11 a.m. on Saturday, was reportedly triggered by an improvised explosive device (IED) believed to have been planted by terrorists targeting commuters.

Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Abdulkarim Lawan, confirmed the incident, stating that the attack claimed the lives of nine residents.

“It is unfortunate that nine of my resilient constituents were killed by planted IEDs while waiting to board vehicles at a local bus stop in Mairari village,” Lawan said.

“May Allah grant their souls Aljanatul Firdaus. I also pray for the swift recovery of those currently receiving treatment in hospitals in Monguno and Maiduguri.”

Lawan condemned the resurgence of attacks in the area, noting that Mairari had previously been resettled twice and remained the only part of Guzamala under full civil authority before being deserted again due to renewed hostilities linked to Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists.

He added that many displaced residents had been returning to Mairari intermittently for farming activities.

“Unfortunately, terrorists monitoring their movements planted IEDs at the local bus stop, which exploded while they were waiting to board commercial vehicles back to their destinations,” he narrated.

The Speaker expressed sympathy to the victims’ families and urged the military and other security operatives to strengthen their presence in Guzamala, particularly in the council’s headquarters, Gudumbali, and in Mairari—areas he described as lacking any civil governance due to terrorist control.
Efforts to get a response from the Borno State Police Command were unsuccessful.

This tragedy comes just days after another deadly incident in Borno State. On May 29,  an ambush in Marte Local Government Area  left nine members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) dead following a confrontation with suspected Boko Haram or ISWAP insurgents.

According to a security briefing from Counter-Terrorism Unit (CTU) Base 8, the militants launched a pre-dawn attack on May 27, 2025, targeting CJTF positions at around 1:10 a.m. The volunteer group, which supports the Nigerian military in counterinsurgency efforts, engaged the insurgents in an intense firefight, ultimately forcing them to retreat.

However, as CJTF operatives attempted to retrieve the body of a fallen comrade, they triggered another IED left behind by the fleeing attackers. The resulting explosion claimed the lives of nine personnel.

The report also confirmed that several civilians abducted during the assault were executed before the insurgents withdrew.

“They planted IED and CJTF who went to recovered one of their deceased body on their way back to their camp stepped on the IED and nine of the CJTF died. X few civilians who were captured in the community by BHTS were gruesomely slaughtered,” the situation report said.