Bomb Explosion Rocks Borno, Kills Many, Injure Others
The bomb was said to have exploded as they were pushing it in a cart toward the town, killing 13 and seriously injuring three others, Babakura Kolo, a leader in a local militia, said on Tuesday.
Kolo said the ordnance had apparently been dropped in 2015 during military operations to retake Bama from Boko Haram terrorists.
Another militia leader, Bukar Grema, said the bomb was dormant for seven years and buried in the sand but they managed to dig it out, not knowing it was a bomb.
Bama, the second largest local council area in Borno, fell to Boko Haram in September 2014.
Some residents, mostly women and children who tried to flee the area at the time were reported to have died of thirst and hunger as insurgents tightened their grip on the town.
Some men of the town were beheaded, residents say.
Bama was one of the two most important towns held by Boko Haram for months.
Nigeria’s military is battling to end a 13-year conflict spearheaded by Boko Haram in the northeast.
Armed groups have been targeting scrap collectors, accusing them of spying for the army.
In June, terrorists killed 10 scavengers in Goni Kurmi village near Bama where they had gone looking for metal, a week after they killed 23 collectors in nearby Dikwa district.
