Abandoned and Bombed: 26 Nigerians, Including Women and Children, Killed in Borno Border IED Explosion | WATCH VIDEO

In what appears to be another brutal reminder of Nigeria's unending security crisis, at least 26 innocent civilians - mostly Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) - were gruesomely killed on Monday afternoon after a vehicle stepped on an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted along the Rann-Gamboru-Ngala route in Borno State.

The tragic incident occurred in Furunduma village, located in the volatile Kalabalge Local Government Area, bordering Cameroon. The victims were passengers onboard an Isuzu pickup van travelling from Rann to the commercial town of Gamboru-Ngala, hoping to engage in basic trading activities when death struck.

Security sources told All Facts Newspaper that the IED, suspected to have been planted by Boko Haram or ISWAP insurgents, detonated under the moving vehicle around midday, instantly killing 16 men, 4 women, and 6 children - all residents of the IDP camp in Rann.

Witnesses described a horrific scene of dismembered bodies strewn across the dirt road. "It was a massacre. Entire families perished,ÔÇØ said a community volunteer involved in the rescue effort.

Three other passengers, including the driver, miraculously survived with severe injuries. They are currently receiving treatment at hospitals in Gamboru-Ngala and Rann.

Security forces, including the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit and military personnel from the Forward Operating Base (FOB), swiftly moved to the site, cordoning off the area and conducting extensive searches for more IEDs. No additional explosives were found.

The remains of the deceased were evacuated to the General Hospital in Rann, where medical personnel confirmed their deaths.

Residents of Kalabalge, already living under the shadow of insurgency, expressed fear and outrage. "The government has forgotten us. These people were displaced by war, and now they're being killed without any protection,ÔÇØ a local youth leader lamented.

This latest tragedy comes as insurgents appear to be ramping up their use of IEDs across Borno's remote border communities. Experts warn that the region remains dangerously vulnerable, especially as government attention continues to shift away from the North-East.

Security analysts believe the attack was deliberately targeted to create fear and disrupt economic activity in the area.

It would be recalled that this is not the first time IDPs from Rann have fallen victim to IEDs planted by insurgents. Many survivors continue to call for relocation or improved security along key access roads.

So far, neither President Bola Tinubu nor Governor Babagana Zulum has issued a formal statement addressing the killings, sparking criticism of both federal and Borno state governments silence amid growing insecurity.

With questions rising about federal and state response to terrorism in the region, the people of Borno are once again left to grieve - and to bury their dead in silence.