The Borno State Chairman of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), Mr. Babakura Kolo, who confirmed the incident, said the scavengers were killed in Bama Local Council of Borno State.

According to him, sixteen scavengers from an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP)camp Bama, identified the explosive from metal scraps on Monday on the north fringe of Sambisa forest.

On how they were killed, he said: “The bomb exploded as they were pushing it in a cart towards the town, killing 13 of them, while three were seriously injured.”

The 13-year terrorism war has killed over 40, 000 residents with the displacement of about 2.2 million people in the Northeast.

A member of the task force, Bukar Grema, who is an assistant to Kolo also said: “The EIDs were dormant for seven years by being buried in the sand. The metal scavengers managed to dig it out, not knowing it was a bomb,” stating that 13 of them were killed after the IED exploded.

Boko Haram captured and seized Bama township in 2014, including parts of northern Borno as its caliphate before the military liberated it in September 2016.