Illegal stockpiling of explosives triggered Niger explosion — Minister

Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, on Monday revealed that the explosion at a mining site in Sabon Pegi, Mashegun Local Government Area of Niger State on Sunday was caused by the illegal stockpiling of explosives.

Alake dispatched officials of the Federal Mines Office in the state to the blast site for an on-the-spot assessment.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the explosion was caused by the illegal stockpiling of explosives by one Yushua Maikampala, a resident of New Bussa.

Maikampala is believed to have been involved in purchasing and storing explosives and their accessories in a house in Sabo Pegi, Mashegun Local Government Area.

According to eyewitnesses, the explosion was triggered by an electrical spark around 7:00 AM on Sunday, destroying the building where the explosives were stored and damaging approximately 20 other houses in the vicinity. At least two fatalities have been confirmed.

Expressing his condolences to the victims, the Minister described the incident as a preventable tragedy caused by negligence and the illegal handling of explosives.

Dr. Alake has directed relevant ministry officials, including the Mines Inspectorate Department, to carry out a forensic analysis of soil samples collected from the blast site to determine the source of the explosives, which would guide the next course of action.

Alake, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, assured the public that “security agencies are actively pursuing the suspect. They will be apprehended and made to face justice.”

The federal government remains committed to ensuring that mining operators adhere to strict environmental and safety standards to avert a recurrence of the unfortunate incident.