The recent explosion in Sabon Pegi, area of the Mashegun Local Government of the State of Niger, has been related to the illegal storage of explosives, according to the Minister of Development of solid minerals, Dr. Dele Alake.
The explosion, which occurred on Sunday morning, said at least two lives, destroyed the building where the explosives were stored and damaged approximately 20 nearby houses. Ocular witness accounts suggest that the explosion was activated by an electric spark around 7:00 am
The preliminary investigations carried out by officials of the Federal Mining Office, sent by the minister, revealed that the explosives were bought illegally and stored by a Yushua Maikampala, a resident of New Busa.
In a statement issued by according to Tomori, the minister's special assistant, Alake condemned negligence around the incident and described the tragedy as avoidable.
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The minister emphasized the importance of adhering to security regulations and legal protocols in explosive management, warning of illegal storage practices that could endanger lives and properties.
Dr. Alake has addressed relevant ministry officials, including the Minas Inspection Department, to carry out a forensic analysis of soil samples collected from the explosion site to determine the source of the explosives, which would guide the next course of action.
According to the minister, “security agencies have been put on the way to the alleged culprit. Will be stopped to face justice. ”
The Federal Government remains to ensure that mining operators adhere to strict environmental and security standards to avoid recurrence of the unfortunate incident.