A bomb explosion on Wednesday rocked Mubang village in Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State, leaving six persons injured, local authorities have confirmed.

Chairman of Hong Local Government Council, Usman Inuwa, said the explosion did not claim any life, adding that the injured victims were receiving treatment at a nearby hospital.

“Nobody was killed; only six people were injured, and they are currently receiving medical attention,” Inuwa said.

He attributed the blast to Boko Haram insurgents, noting that the same community had earlier come under attack this month, during which 14 residents were reportedly killed.

Inuwa explained that the local council regularly deploys a joint team of military personnel and vigilantes to secure the area, stressing that insurgents are often repelled whenever they attempt to launch attacks.

“We always organise a combined team of the military and vigilantes to guard the area, and Boko Haram fighters are usually repelled whenever they strike,” he said.

When contacted, the spokesman of the Adamawa State Police Command, SP Suleiman Nguroje, said he would confirm the incident from the Divisional Police Officer in Hong but had not responded as of press time.

Meanwhile, stakeholders from the troubled Eastern Senatorial District of Sokoto State have appealed to the government and security agencies to urgently intervene in communities displaced by the activities of notorious bandit leader, Bello Turji.

Secretary of the Sokoto Eastern Zone Development Association, Muazu Shamaki, confirmed that a viral video showing residents of Tidibale community fleeing their homes followed threats allegedly issued by Turji.

He said the situation had subjected residents to severe hardship, disclosing that more than 20 settlements in the area had been affected by similar attacks and threats.

In a related development, the Federal Government and the Niger State Government have commenced plans for a major security operation to flush out terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements occupying the Kainji National Park forests and surrounding areas.

Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, disclosed this during a condolence visit to the Emir of Borgu, Muhammad Haliru Dantoro, following the killing of over 42 villagers and renewed bandit attacks in parts of the emirate.

According to the governor, security agencies would intensify operations in suspected hideouts across Borgu and Agwara local government areas as part of a coordinated effort to reclaim the forests and restore peace.

Bago announced that illegal occupants of the Kainji National Park had been given two months to vacate the forest, while residents of villages and hamlets within and around the area were directed to relocate within two weeks to prevent possible collateral damage during the operation. He did not, however, provide details on relocation arrangements.

Also speaking, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to tackling insecurity in Niger State and across the country.