An improvised explosive device detonated early Wednesday on the Gusau-Funtua highway in Zamfara State, damaging a cement-laden truck but leaving the driver unharmed.
The blast occurred near Unguwar Mai Chida village as the truck traveled from Sokoto to Kaduna.
The explosion severely damaged the vehicle’s front, but the driver, identified as Dauda Adamu, was rescued with the help of passing motorists before security forces arrived.
Local sources suspect the device was planted by terrorists and may have been part of explosives originally targeting security personnel during a recent road clearance operation.
The incident came hours after a joint security team reopened the Kucheri-Danjibga-Keta road, which had been closed for over a month due to similar threats.
DSP Yazid Abubakar, spokesperson for the Zamfara State Police Command, confirmed that officers from the Explosive Ordnance Department were deployed and investigations are ongoing.
The incident highlights ongoing security risks along northern Nigerian highways, where terrorist attacks and IEDs have increasingly disrupted transportation and commerce.