Bomb blast kills nine at Nigeria bus park in Borno
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, June 2 (Reuters) - At least nine people were killed in a blast at a bus park in northeastern Nigeria, blamed on a bomb planted by suspected militants who have stepped up attacks in Borno state, a local lawmaker and residents said.
Borno has been the heartland of an Islamist insurgency for the past 16 years, which has killed thousands of Nigerians and driven tens of thousands from their homes.
Villagers from Mairari village in Borno's Guzamala district were waiting for transport when a bomb detonated on Saturday, killing at least nine people, said Abdulkarim Lawan, the lawmaker for the area.
Lawan, who is also speaker of Borno state assembly, said Mairari village was now largely deserted due to frequent attacks by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province, who are also increasingly using improvised explosives.
"Terrorists who have been 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 said.
Borno state police spokesperson Nahum Kenneth Daso confirmed the incident but said he had no details.
Bunu Bukar, a petty trader at the bus rank said on Monday the IED was tripped when passengers were boarding a mini bus, killing the nine instantly and injuring several others.
Nigeria has witnessed a rise in insurgent attacks since January, with militants targeting civilians and military bases.
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BBC News
5 hours ago
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'Dem rape me eight times in seven hours' - Women share terrible experiences from Benue attack
"Di herders storm di area, dem first capture some of us [women] dem keep us for a separate place bifor dem attack and start to shoot and kill di men wey no dey lucky to survive." Na so one survivor from di community, Edikwu Ankpali for Apa local goment area of Benue state, wia suspected herdsmen attack, tell BBC Pidgin. as she tori wetin hapun and her experience. Suspected herdsmen bin attack di community between Sunday June 1st and Monday June 2nd. Dem kill pipo, and now, we dey hear tori from di women wey dem also rape. Ova ten women for dat community tori say dem rape dem, some of dem still dey hospital. Women narrate di emotional and sexual trauma wey dem face for di hands of di attackers. One of di victims tell BBC Pidgin say na eight times dem rape her in di space of seven hours. She say afta dem begin attack some of di men, dem begin gang rape women for di community. "Dem rape me rape eight times before day break, odas 10 times. Di herders reach like 50 in number." She tok. Di youth leader Odogbo Ngbede also tell BBC Pidgin say, "we no know wia our wives dey again", dis na as some of di women still dey miss. Anoda victim say she bin sit down wit her sick elderly father bifor dem come, "dem kill my papa, come carry me go one place to rape me", she tok wit sadness. Di women tell BBC Pidgin say dem dey in pain as dem no fit waka well for days now. Di victims of di rape dey between 35 and 60 years old. ' I lose more dan six of my family members' Madam Sarah (no be her real name) wey run comot from village go di local goment headquarters tell BBC Pidgin say, di suspected herdsmen don pursue her from village like odas too wey dey relocate. She narrate say dem kill her papa wey be elderly man and some of her cousins and until now, dem neva see dia deadibody. She add say like say dem dey alive, dem for don come out from wia dem run go hide for safety. "Dem kill almost all my family members, I no go go back unless goment do sometin to help us. If peace no comeback to my village, I no dey go back. Hunger dey kill us, we no fit go farm again, na outside I dey sleep all dis while, bifor i run comot from di village dem don kill 29 pipo. She say na by di grace of God she survive 'Dem bin tell us say di pipo dey come do peace tok-tok wit us' - Community leader Afta retirement as Deputy Comptroller of Immigration, Mr Eyigege Ikwutole say make im come rest for village. But as di current community leader, di peace wey im find come village don turn to serious attacks and sad stories. Im tok say im no fit imagine say pipo wey dem no get any problem wit go just come enta dia community just to attack, kill pipo and tiff dia tins. "Dem bin tell us say di pipo [suspected herdsmen] dey come do peace tok-tok wit us. So we like peace na why we accept dem, around 3:30 pm, dem enta our community we welcome dem, dem stay wit us and we dey share evritin wit dem, di tins wey we get for house we share wit dem too until around 4:00pm dat same day. 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Im add say na only men wey fit fight dey for di village now, di women and children run go di local goment headquarters to take cover and im no know how di pipo for village dey take survive. As death toll bin dey increase, police bin deploy tactical teams to flash points as army chief bin also visit communities for di state. 'We dey under seige' - Govnor Alia Meanwhile, Benue State Governor Hycinth Alia tok for Channels TV interview say im no dey see di attacks as clash between farmers and herders, again. Im say specialised killers dey involved and terrorists wey dey engage like say na guerrilla war dem dey fight. "Di way dis attacks come and di intel we receive, na direct and calibrated plan and dem go execute am. Evriday, we dey receive dis intel dem. Of late, each of di intel we receive, 60 to 65 per cent of am dey quite accurate. "And den wen you realise wetin dey go on, e dey beyond just conflict, e dey beyond just ethnic fight between herders and farmers for our state, e dey directed, e dey planned and den, dem go execute am, na terrorism." "For some reason, dem no dey eva catch any of dem. Dem dey come for middle of di night, hit and run and nobody dey see any trace. So, na terrorism wey dey eat us up," im tok. Suspected herdsmen attack both residents of Tse-Antswam for Naka town, wey be headquarters of Gwer West LGA and Edikwu Ankpali for Apa local goment area of Benue state between Sunday 1June and Monday 2nd June, 2025. Ova 50 pipo die for di attack and some pipo still dey miss.
Telegraph
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Lowering barriers to trade is crucial, and for that Britain's ETIP looks prescient. However, investment and business potential will remain discounted as long as African nations cling to state intervention – from subsidies and price controls to exchange rate distortions – all of which have consistently bred dysfunction and economic instability. Fortunately, Nigeria has now decisively turned a corner, embracing market economics under a liberalising government. In Morocco this week, Foreign Secretary David Lammy indicated Britain's position is shifting too. Setting out his strategy for Africa, he said British policy must transition from aid to investment. 'Trade-not-aid' is no new idea – but it is the first time a British government has so clearly echoed the demand the African continent has voiced for years. In making that shift, Nigeria is taking the lead for a continent to follow. 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BBC News
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Wagner to withdraw from Mali after 'completing mission'
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