Several passengers are feared dead after a commercial bus struck an improvised explosive device near Woro, a remote community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, along the corridor leading toward New Bussa in neighbouring Niger State.
Security sources and local officials say the vehicle, a commercial bus travelling from Wurumakoto Village to New Bussa, ran over the hidden device on the isolated stretch of road close to Woro. The impact triggered a powerful blast that tore through the bus, killing the driver, identified as Mallam Zunairu, on the spot and leaving multiple passengers with life-threatening injuries.
Eyewitnesses described a chaotic scene, with mangled metal, shattered glass and personal belongings scattered across the roadside as survivors cried for help. Some of the injured were said to have suffered severe burns and limb injuries consistent with an IED explosion.
Military authorities confirmed that those with critical wounds were evacuated to the General Hospital in New Bussa for emergency treatment. However, officials have yet to release an official casualty figure, saying only that “several” people are feared dead while others remain in critical condition.
Preliminary investigations by security agencies suggest the explosive was deliberately planted by armed groups believed to be operating in the forests and border communities around the Kaiama–Woro–New Bussa axis. The same network is suspected of carrying out a previous deadly attack in the Woro area, in which many residents were killed and others abducted.
In a statement, the military said joint security operatives were immediately deployed to the blast site to secure the area and search for additional threats. During clearance operations, another improvised explosive device was reportedly discovered along the route and safely defused by a specialist bomb disposal team from a Nigerian Army base in Kaiama.
Security officials say the incident underscores a worrying shift in tactics by criminal and insurgent elements who are increasingly turning to roadside bombs to target civilians and security forces. Despite an expanded security presence and patrols along the Kaiama–Woro corridor, the region has seen a surge in violent attacks, kidnappings and raids on rural communities in recent weeks.
Residents of Woro and surrounding villages now speak of mounting fear and uncertainty, as commercial drivers and traders reconsider using the route, raising concerns about isolation, disrupted livelihoods and access to essential services.
