Suspected Boko Haram/Islamic State West African Province, ISWAP, insurgents have intercepted another fleet of trucks transporting foodstuffs to Maiduguri, Borno State.
Daily Trust reports that the incident occurred on Saturday along the Monnguno–Guzamala axis, between Burmari and Garin Kashim villages in Guzamala Local Government Area.
Sources said the attackers blocked two trailers and three dump trucks conveying beans to Maiduguri.
The insurgents reportedly set the trailer heads on fire before fleeing into nearby bushes.
One of the drivers said he abandoned his vehicle and escaped into the bush when the attack began.
According to him, the assailants were believed to be the same group that attacked trucks carrying maize and building materials in the area about five days earlier.
Another witness said the insurgents first deflated the vehicles’ tyres before setting them ablaze. He added that community members helped to put out the fire before it spread to the trailer bodies, allowing the drivers to escape unharmed.
Drivers operating on the route complained about the absence of security patrols, noting that unlike other volatile roads in the state, soldiers are not strategically deployed along the axis.
As a result of repeated attacks, several truck owners have reportedly withdrawn their vehicles from the route.
A security source said the insurgents were targeting commercial vehicles to frustrate government plans to resettle communities along the road.
