Zamfara: IED Destroys Cement truck on Gusau-Funtua Highway 

On Wednesday morning, an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) ripped through a cement truck on the Gusau-Funtua highway. The blast destroyed the vehicle’s cab but spared the driver’s life. This stretch of tarmac serves as a vital artery for northern commerce. Security forces now find themselves playing a deadly game of minesweeper across the state. The explosion occurred at Unguwar Mai Chida, a village now synonymous with transit peril.

Only hours earlier, a joint task force had reopened the nearby Kucheri-Danjibga-Keta road. That route had remained shut for a month while engineers cleared similar devices. The insurgents appear to be using explosives to compensate for their loss of mobility. Tactics are shifting from kidnapping to territorial denial. This change suggests a more entrenched and sophisticated form of warfare.

The driver, Dauda Adamu, owes his life to the bravery of fellow motorists. These civilians pulled him from the wreckage before the army arrived to secure the perimeter. Such scenes are becoming a routine part of travel in the Northwest. The police have sent their explosive ordnance team to the site to probe the wreckage. Last week, even a military armoured carrier fell victim to a mine in Tsafe. No vehicle, it seems, is too heavy for these devices.

Logistics in Nigeria are already expensive and slow. The introduction of IEDs on primary trade routes adds a layer of risk that insurers and haulage firms cannot ignore. Security operatives face a daunting task in patrolling thousands of kilometres of open road. They must now look down as well as around. If the state cannot secure the asphalt, the regional economy will stall.