The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has stated that initial investigations point to an explosion at a mining site in Sabon Pegi, Mashegun Local Government Area of Niger State, being caused by the illegal stockpiling of explosives by one Yushua Maikampala, a New Bussa resident.
Maikampala is believed to have bought and stored explosives in a house in Sabon Pegi, Mashegun Local Government Area. This was confirmed by a statement from the Minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, released to Channels Television on Monday.
According to an eyewitness, the explosion, which occurred around 7:00 AM on Sunday, was triggered by an electrical spark, destroying the building where the explosives were stored and damaging around 20 nearby houses. At least two fatalities have been confirmed.
The Minister expressed condolences to the victims, calling the incident avoidable due to the negligent handling and illegal storage of explosives. He has instructed ministry officials, including the Mines Inspectorate Department, to conduct forensic analysis of soil samples from the blast site to identify the source of the explosives, guiding further actions.
Alake added that security agencies are on the trail of the suspected culprit, who will be apprehended and brought to justice. He reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to enforcing strict environmental and safety standards for mining operators to prevent such incidents in the future.