Four people have been confirmed dead following a bomb explosion along the Damboa–Maiduguri road in Borno state on Wednesday.

The explosion, which occurred around 12:30 p.m. near Komala village in Konduga local government area, involved an Isuzu pickup truck travelling from Damboa to Maiduguri.

According to the police, the vehicle struck an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) suspected to have been planted by Boko Haram or Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) insurgents.

Kenneth Daso, spokesperson of the Borno police command, said in a statement that 10 other passengers sustained varying degrees of injuries.

“The corpses of the deceased and the injured victims have been evacuated to the State Specialist Hospital, Maiduguri, for autopsy and medical treatment, respectively,” the statement read.

Daso added that joint security forces have been deployed to the area to forestall further attacks and that the police Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team has commenced an investigation.

The Damboa–Maiduguri road has witnessed multiple deadly attacks in recent years. Despite being closed to civilian movement, some commuters still use the route under military escort.

A similar blast occurred on the road a few weeks ago, claiming seven lives.

The area remains a key corridor for insurgents, who frequently plant explosives to deter public use.