Twelve people are feared dead in Yar Tasha village, Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State following a suspected bomb explosion in the area.

The incident, Daily Trust gathered, occurred around 8am this morning after a commercial driver conveying passengers to Dansadau town ran on the device suspected to be planted by bandits.

This is the second time an explosive device would be planted along Dansadau Road within a week. Last Sunday a similar device suspected to be planted by bandits exploded with an 18-seater bus, killing the driver, who was the sole occupant.

A resident of Yar Tasha village, who did not want to be named, said the driver of the car, a Volkswagen Gulf Model, ran into the device and instantly exploded, shattering the vehicle into pieces.

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“We recently conducted community work on the road and the bandits used that opportunity to plant the device at one of the spots.

“The victims were rushed to Dansadau General Hospital and no body can ascertain whether they are dead or alive for now. Security personnel comprising soldiers and police have been deployed to the scene of the incident.

“It appears that the bandits in Zamfara State have developed a new strategy of operation especially in this Dansadau axis. This is the second time they would plant an explosive device in this area within a week. They planted one on Sunday.

“Government should take decisive measures to stop this trend otherwise, travelling by road will now be a difficult thing among the people of the state. The security personnel and communities should be vigilant and always keep eyes on them. This is a terrible method deployed by the bandits and it needs to be tackled as soon as possible.”

Daily Trust reports that on Sunday a similar explosive device was planted at Mai-Gungume village along Dansadau road, killing a commercial driver.