The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, on Monday said the explosion at a mining site in Sabon Pegi, Mashegu Local Government Area of Niger State was caused by the illegal stockpiling of explosives by a resident of New Bussa, Yushua Maikampala.
Segun Tomori, the special assistant on media to the minister, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.
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On Sunday, PREMIUM TIMES reported that four people were confirmed dead, and several others injured from an explosion at a mining site in Sabon Pegi, Mashegu Local Government Area of Niger State.
On Monday, Mr Tomori said following reports of the explosion at the mining site on Sunday, Mr Alake dispatched officials of the federal mines office in the state to the blast site for an on-the-spot assessment.
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“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,” the statement said.
It said according to witnesses, the explosion was triggered by an electrical spark around 7:00 a.m. 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.”
The minister expressed 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.
The statement added that Mr 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.
“Security agencies have been put on the trail of the suspected culprit. He will be apprehended to face justice,” Mr Alake was quoted as saying.
The statement said 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.
