Boko Haram blows up Madafuma bridge

Apparently jolted by the on-going military operations against its dreaded bases, the Boko Haram sect has blown up the popular Madafuma bridge, linking 185km Biu- Damboa-Maid­uguri federal road.

Daily Sun learnt that some gunmen, suspected to be members of Boko Haram had, at the weekend, planted Im­provised Explosive Devices (IEDs) under the bridge and blew it up, damaging some re­markable portion of the bridge, with motorists and passengers stranded

Hundreds of motorists and passengers had been killed on the road, while many others had been kidnapped in the last two years, making the road a deathtrap for travellers.

The notoriety of the road had forced many motorists and people of Biu, Garkida, Numan, Shani, Tarabato to abandon it for the alterna­tive route linking the state to Gombe State.

The bombing of the bridge, according to a witness, Mal­lam Musa Yakubu, took place last Saturday around 2a.m. when residents of the area were already asleep.

“We heard a bang on Satur­day and on Sunday morning when we gathered in Mada­fuma village to go round our surroundings early in the morning, we found out that the bridge linking us with Biu Lo­cal Government Area and MA Dara Girau, had been blown up; all motorists heading to Maiduguri from Biu, espe­cially long vehicles had no option than to make U-turn to Gombe. Unfortunately, small vehicles had to manage the re­maining portion which had not been affected in the blast, but it is very risky,” Yakubu stated.

Trucks loaded with tubers of yam from Taraba and Benue states, according to residents of Biu had to return to Biu on Sunday and took another road through Gombe-Potiskum- Damaturu-Maiduguri road, which they described as a long and hectic journey.