An improvised explosive device (IED) planted by suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists detonated under an 18-seater commercial bus (or open-body truck) carrying farmers to their farmlands. The blast killed seven people instantly and injured seven others. The death toll later rose to 13 after six of the injured died from their wounds.
29 Jan 2024 · Pulka-Firgi road, Gwoza, Borno
Deaths
13
Injured
1
Kidnapped
0
Total casualties
14
Perpetrators
Boko Haram/ISWAP
Response
Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency expert, provided updates on the casualty toll via a post on X, raising the death toll to 13 after the injured died.
Displacement
0
Socioeconomic drivers
Following territorial losses to the Nigerian military, Boko Haram and ISWAP have intensified the use of IEDs as their primary tactic, targeting civilian "soft targets" such as farmers and commuters. The attack deliberately targeted farmers, a key economic sector, to disrupt food production and terrorize rural communities.
Trajectory
The attack also occurred just days after the Nigerian military announced that insurgents were surrendering en masse, highlighting the continued threat of asymmetric warfare. The attack is part of a wider resurgence of IED attacks in early 2024, with the number of landmine casualties quadrupling between 2022 and 2024.
Cycle notes
This incident tragically echoes a long-standing pattern of Boko Haram and ISWAP IED attacks on civilian vehicles documented throughout this project. It directly mirrors the 27 January 2024 Gubio IED explosion (six killed), the 9 January 2024 Kunibaa landmine attack (seven killed), and the 8 January 2024 Gamboru-Maiduguri highway landmine attacks (three killed). The cycle is tragically consistent: insurgents plant IEDs on roads used by civilians, farmers and commuters pay the price, and the government struggles to clear the explosives
Pattern
IED Explosion
Related — Bombing/IED
A male suicide bomber detonated at the entrance to the University of Maiduguri's Rapid Response Services Office, killing a female security guard and injuring two other security personnel
A teenage female suicide bomber detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) at the crowded Damaturu central motor park (bus station) in Yobe State. The blast occurred as the perpetrator was examining her luggage at the security checkpoint. Police confirmed that seven people, including the bomber, were killed, and 32 others were injured. An angry mob prevented rescue workers from retrieving the bomber‘s remains and set the body parts on fire.
At approximately 9:30 pm – 10 pm (local time; 21:00 GMT), a Volkswagen Golf car packed with explosives detonated on Middle Road in Sabon Gari, the predominantly Christian district of Kano. The bomber was a male (age unknown). The blast occurred prematurely—the car exploded before reaching its intended target, believed to be a Monday morning bus station—destroying six cars, shattering windows of two‑storey buildings, and sending debris over a wide area. Local journalists suggested the bomber may have been headed elsewhere and the explosion happened while he was on the move.