Explosives Cause Of Explosion In Niger- Alake

Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake has attributed Sunday’s explosion that occurred at a mining site in Sabon Pegi, Mashegun Local Government Area of Niger State, to illegal stockpiling of explosives

This is contained in a statement signed by the Special Assistant Media to the Minister, Segun Tomori in Abuja.

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

It adds that the Minister had dispatched officials of the Federal Mines Office in the state to the blast site for an on-the-spot assessment.

The statement believes that Maikampala is involved in purchasing and storing explosives and accessories in a house in Sabo Pegi, Mashegun Local Government Area of the State.

According to the statement, eyewitnesses say 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 with two fatalities confirmed.

It stresses that Dr. Alake has directed relevant ministry officials, including the Mines Inspectorate Department, to carry out 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.

According to the statement, Security agencies have been put on the trail of the suspected culprit to face justice.

It explains that 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.

The statement adds that the Minister expresses his deepest condolences to the victims, describing the incident as avoidable given the negligence surrounding the handling and illegal storage of explosives by the alleged culprit.

PR/Georgina Humphrey