An improvised explosive device (IED) detonated under an Isuzu pickup van traveling from Rann, the headquarters of Kala-Balge LGA, to Gamboru-Ngala in Borno State. The explosion occurred near Furunduma village along the Kala-Balge road. The vehicle was carrying passengers when it struck the device suspected to have been planted by ISWAP insurgents. The blast killed 26 people, including 16 males, 4 females, and 6 children. The driver and two other victims sustained injuries and were taken to hospital for treatment.
28 Apr 2025 · Furunduma, Kala-Balge, Borno
Deaths
26
Injured
3
Kidnapped
0
Total casualties
29
Perpetrators
ISWAP
Response
Police spokesperson ASP Nahum Daso confirmed the incident and casualty figures. Injured victims were taken to hospital for treatment .
Displacement
0
Socioeconomic drivers
The use of IEDs along major roads is a deliberate strategy to disrupt civilian movement, target economic activity, and maintain a climate of fear in the region. The Kala-Balge road is a route used by commuters and internally displaced persons.
Trajectory
The IED attack was the second deadly explosion in Borno within two weeks. On 12 April 2025, a similar IED blast on the Maiduguri-Damboa road killed eight people and injured 11 others. The attack occurred on the same day as the Kwaple village massacre (28 April), where ISWAP killed at least 15 mourners near Chibok, indicating a coordinated wave of violence across Borno State.
Cycle notes
This attack echoes the long-standing pattern of IED attacks on civilian vehicles in Borno State, which have been a hallmark of the insurgency since its early days. Similar attacks have been documented throughout 2024 and early 2025 on major roads including the Maiduguri-Damboa, Maiduguri-Bama, and Maiduguri-Monguno axes. The use of IEDs to target civilian transport remains one of the most persistent and deadly tactics employed by insurgent groups in North-East Nigeria.
Pattern
IED Explosion
Related — Bombing/IED
A tricycle taxi, commonly known as a "Keke NAPEP," accidentally ran over an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) that had been buried by the side of the road. Military investigations revealed that the device had likely been buried long ago and remained undetected until it was triggered. The explosion occurred instantly and resulted in the deaths of four individuals: a woman, her baby, and two adult men. Three other people, including a soldier, sustained injuries and were promptly evacuated to Biu General Hospital. The army later confirmed that the injured soldier had died at the hospital. The area surrounding the incident was cordoned off, and an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team was deployed to conduct a thorough search of the vicinity.
Two female suicide bombers staged a coordinated attack on the crowded market in Biu town. The first bomber detonated her explosives inside the market, causing mass casualties. As survivors rushed to assist the wounded, the second bomber detonated outside the market square, targeting those who had gathered. The attack occurred while aid workers were distributing food to people affected by the Boko Haram insurgency.
A suicide bomber riding a motorcycle laden with explosives attacked the convoy of the Taraba State Commissioner of Police, Mamman Sule (also referred to as Maman Sule), as it was passing the premises of the Taraba State Ministry of Finance in Jalingo, the state capital. The blast occurred near the entrance to the ministry, close to the police headquarters, and adjacent to the Government House. While the commissioner survived the attack unscathed, the explosion destroyed his official vehicle, shattered its windscreen, and ripped through the convoy, killing a police dispatch rider and at least two passers‑by, plus the bomber. Police and Red Cross officials confirmed that the final death toll stood at 11.