If any of the 56 bombs found so far exploded, the damage would have been catastrophic for the state’s population and economy, the report states, which holds the Islamist group Boko Haram responsible for the sabotage, detected with the help of members of the Civilian Joint Task Force, a pro-government militia.

The statement added that military bomb disposal experts were continuing their search for more homemade explosive devices and deactivating those found in Boko Haram, an Islamic State group, has its headquarters in Borno but is expanding its operations to Cameroon, Chad, and Niger, whose armies support Nigeria’s in operations against the islamists.

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