At least two people were killed on Monday in a bomb blast along the Damboa–Maiduguri highway. An Intelligence source Zagazola Makama told TVC News that the victims, identified as Blessings Luka and Gideon Bitterleaf, were travelling from Damboa to Maiduguri when the incident occurred.
According to eyewitnesses, the deceased were seated in front of a Toyota Hiace van transporting mangoes when the vehicle struck an improvised explosive device suspected to have been planted by insurgents.
The explosion claimed both lives instantly, leaving other occupants injured and sparking fresh concerns over the safety of commuters on the volatile route.
A source within the Damboa Local Government confirmed the identities of the victims, describing them as committed and hardworking education officials.
Elsewhere, two Nigerian soldiers have paid the supreme price during gun battle with ISWAP terrorists in Marte town in Borno State on Monday.
Intelligence sources said that the terrorists reportedly infiltrated the town at about 2 a.m. and were engaged in a gun battle by troops of the battalion stationed in Marte, with reinforcement from the Brigade Headquarters and close air support from the Nigerian Air Force.
The coordinated counteroffensive forced the terrorists to retreat, abandoning their plans to overrun the town.
