The Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) has confirmed the death of one staff member following an explosion at its Ordnance Factory in Kaduna on Saturday.

Several others sustained injuries during the incident, which occurred around 10 a.m. at the factory’s disposal pit.

According to the corporation, the explosion happened while personnel were destroying expired explosives and raw materials for arms production. Items being disposed of included Ammonium Nitrate, primer caps, propellants, and other materials that had exceeded their lifespan.

DICON explained that the disposal exercise had begun in July 2025 and most of the volatile substances had already been destroyed before the accident. “The injured DICON staff are currently receiving treatment at 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna, while the body of the deceased personnel has been deposited at the mortuary,” the corporation’s spokesperson, Maria Sambo, said in a statement.

Sambo assured residents of the surrounding Kurmin Gwari community that the situation was under control and that there was no immediate threat. “DICON, as a responsible professional organisation, has institutionalised operational safety to the highest level. The neighbouring community is assured that they can go about their normal business,” she said.

The corporation added that a Board of Inquiry has been set up to establish the immediate cause of the explosion. “We remain committed to operational safety, and the Board will ensure that lessons are drawn from this unfortunate incident,” the spokesperson noted.