MAIDUGURI, Nigeria — At least nine people were killed and several others injured on Saturday, May 31, 2025, when an improvised explosive device detonated at a local bus stop in Mairari village, Guzamala Local Government Area of Borno State, in Nigeria’s conflict-hit northeast.
The explosion occurred around 11 a.m. as passengers gathered to board commercial vehicles, according to local officials.
The Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abdulkarim Lawan, confirmed the incident on Sunday, June 1, 2025.
“It is unfortunate that nine of my resilient constituents were killed by planted IEDs while waiting to board vehicles at a local bus stop in Mairari village,” Lawan said in a statement.
“May Allah grant their souls Aljanatul Firdaus. I also pray for the swift recovery of those evacuated to hospitals in Monguno and Maiduguri for treatment following the incident.”
The speaker attributed the attack to suspected members of Boko Haram or the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), who have waged a long-running insurgency in the region.
“You are aware that Mairari village, which was previously the only village resettled twice with civil authority in the entire Guzamala Local Government Area, has once again been deserted due to Boko Haram/ISWAP attacks,” Lawan said.
According to him, many displaced residents of Guzamala, currently sheltering in Monguno, Maiduguri, and other areas, often return to Mairari to tend to farmlands.
He alleged that insurgents had been monitoring these movements and deliberately targeted the victims as they waited to return to their host communities.
“Unfortunately, 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 added.
Lawan extended his condolences to the families of the victims and urged the Nigerian military and security agencies to intensify efforts to secure Guzamala, particularly in the council headquarters of Gudumbali and surrounding villages which remain under the influence of insurgent groups.
For over a decade, Guzamala Local Government has been severely affected by the Boko Haram insurgency, with most of its communities—including Mairari—facing repeated attacks, displacement, and a lack of functioning civil administration.
There has been no immediate claim of responsibility for Saturday’s attack. Security forces have yet to release an official statement.
Emergency services transported the injured to hospitals in Monguno and Maiduguri, though the number of casualties may rise as some victims remain in critical condition.
