9 killed in Nigeria car explosion

A car bomb, targeting a military checkpoint on a road leading to Nigeria’s northeastern city of Maiduguri, exploded on Tuesday, killing all nine people in the vehicle, police and witnesses said. It was unclear if any soldier was hurt in the attack, which was blamed on Boko Haram extremists.

Preliminary reports indicate that those killed were the driver and passengers in the explosives-laden minivan, said police deputy superintendent Victor Isuku. 

The van came off a rural road and blew up shortly after turning onto the tarred main road near Gubio town in a "massive blast," said truck driver Habib Isa. Gubio is 95km northeast of Maiduguri, the birthplace of Boko Haram and headquarters of the military campaign to halt the insurgency.

Boko Haram has recently stepped up attacks after a months-long lull caused by a leadership struggle in the Islamic State-affiliated group.

The explosion follows four suicide bombings in three weeks in Maiduguri.