A rising wave of insecurity has unsettled residents of Dansadau Emirate in Zamfara State's Maru Local Government Area, as armed bandits adopt explosives in their attacks. Bello Dansadau, a resident, described the use of explosives as a dangerous escalation in the criminals' tactics.
The terrorists reportedly planned to attack Yar Galadima village early Sunday. To hinder the intervention of troops and vigilantes stationed in Dansadau Town, they planted explosive devices along the Dansadau–Yar Galadima highway.
Residents fear the increasing sophistication of the bandits' methods may worsen the region's insecurity.
Dansadau added that the explosives detonated when a commercial vehicle hit it, killing the driver and destroying the vehicle completely.
“The bandits are now using explosives, early hour of Sunday they wanted to attack Yar Galadima, a village close to our town, but they know that we will come to the aid of the village, our vigilante team, and the military, so the bandits planted a bomb along the Dansadau-Gusau highway that lead to the Yar Galadima village.”
“It was one vehicle that stepped on it and exploded, killing the driver and the vehicle was destroyed completely, it was only the driver that was inside the vehicle.”
“This is the first time we will experience this type of tactics by the bandits and it calls for concern.”