Nine Nigerian soldiers have been confirmed dead following the detonation of an improvised explosive device (IED) along the Maiduguri–Gubio Road in Borno State, raising fresh concerns over the growing threat of insurgent attacks on key military routes in the North-East.
Security sources, including members of the Military and Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), confirmed the incident in Maiduguri on Sunday, stating that preliminary findings indicated the explosive device was planted overnight by Boko Haram insurgents. The affected soldiers were reportedly en route from Maiduguri through Gubio town for a planned military operation in the Sasawa Forest, located in neighbouring Yobe State.
According to the sources, the explosion occurred near Gubio, the headquarters of Gubio Local Government Area, as the troops resumed their journey on Sunday evening. The soldiers were said to have stopped earlier at a military outpost along the road on Saturday before continuing the trip the following day.
“While travelling from Maiduguri on Saturday, the soldiers stopped at a military camp by the roadside, before proceeding with their journey on Sunday,” one security source disclosed.
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A senior military officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, clarified that the incident was not an ambush but the result of an IED planted along the road overnight. He further revealed that several other soldiers sustained injuries from shrapnel, including burns to their limbs and head areas, and were immediately evacuated for medical attention.
The affected personnel were identified as members of the 145 Battalion, Damasak, operating under the 5 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, based at the Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri.
As of the time of filing this report, the Nigerian Army had yet to issue an official statement confirming the number of casualties or providing further details on the investigation.
Insurgent groups, including Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have intensified attacks on military convoys using gun trucks and improvised explosive devices along strategic routes around the Sambisa Forest axis and the Lake Chad region. In November last year, suspected ISWAP fighters reportedly attacked a military convoy in the same area, resulting in multiple casualties among soldiers and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force supporting counter-terrorism operations.
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