Landmine laid about 30km away from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, by Boko Haram, has claimed the lives of seven hunters.

Nineteen others were also injured in the incident that scattered the vehicles of the hunters searching for suspected Boko Haram members, who had rustled cows from some communities in the Jere Local Government Area of the state.

Local hunters and vigilante groups have volunteered to provide support for the Nigerian military in the war against the insurgents.

About 500 of them deployed in the first set in 2019 were made to take oath of secrecy to avoid betrayal or leaking intelligence about key operations.

The military also embraced the local hunters owing to their enthusiasm, hunting prowess and familiarity with the terrain of the state.

Senator Kashim Shettima, representing Borno Central in the Senate, and Ahmed Satomi, representing Jere Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, confirmed the landmine disaster on Wednesday.

Satomi said, “It is sad that seven local hunters were lost to a landmine with 19 others injured.”

He also said, “Hunters on patrol, after receiving an alert that Boko Haram had rustled some cattle from some villages, decided to pursue them. Unfortunately, they hit a landmine in their pursuit.

“On their way, after a village called Kayamla in Konduga, after Alau Dam, they hit a landmine and their vehicle got broken and they had to call for reinforcement from a nearby unit.

“The reinforcement came with a vehicle loaded with about 20 local hunters which moved to support the first vehicle and on their way, they hit another landmine which scattered their vehicles, killing seven and injuring 19 others.”

One of the survivors, Abubakar Gambo, told journalists in Maiduguri that they were 19 onboard their patrol truck when they heard a loud bang.

“We were on patrol along Kayamla route when one of the rear tyres of our Toyota Land Cruiser truck exploded. We thought it was a common tyre burst, but we later discovered it was a bomb,” he said.

He also said while they were trying to change the tyre, they spotted some Boko Haram gunmen creeping towards them, which made them to begin to fire in their direction while calling for a backup.

He said the Boko Haram terrorists afterward fled and left some rustled cows behind.

Gambo said, “Our backup team arrived and began to chase after the insurgents, who had already gone far into the bush. As they were making their way back, the vehicle ran over a massive bomb that exploded and killed nine of them instantly, while nine others were injured. I saw their vehicle as it was tossed up into the air.”

The state Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Sa’ina Buba, while confirming the incident during the funeral of the seven slain hunters in Maiduguri, said, “We are saddened by the death of these gallant hunters, who sacrificed their lives to protect us.”