The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has disclosed that the deadly explosion in Sabon Pegi, located in the Mashegu Local Government Area of Niger State, which resulted in the tragic deaths of three individuals and the destruction of 40 houses, was caused by the illegal stockpiling of explosives by a resident, Yushua Maikampala.
According to a statement issued by the minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, on Monday, Maikampala’s unauthorised accumulation of these dangerous materials was the direct trigger for the incident.
The statement pointed out that the resident is believed to have been involved in purchasing and storing explosives and their accessories in a house in the area following a preliminary investigation.
It also indicated that the minister, on Sunday, dispatched officials of the Federal Mines Office in the state to the blast site for an on-the-spot assessment.
Recall that on Sunday, Newsmen reported the tragic incident, with local resident Ibrahim Mustapha confirming that more than 40 people were impacted by the explosion that devastated the residential area.
According to eyewitnesses, the explosion was triggered by an electrical spark around 7 am on Sunday, destroying the building where the explosives were stored and other houses.
The minister, reacting to the incident, expressed his condolences to the victims and affected families.
He described the incident as avoidable given the negligence surrounding the handling and illegal storage of explosives by the alleged culprit.
The statement read, “Following reports of an explosion at a mining site in Sabon Pegi, Mashegun Local Government Area of Niger State, on Sunday, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele 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.
“Maikampala, a resident of New Bussa, is believed to have been involved in purchasing and storing explosives and their accessories in a house in Sabo Pegi, Mashegun Local Government Area.”
Tomori added that Alake 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.
“Security agencies have been put on the trail of the suspected culprit. He will be apprehended 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,” the statement concluded.
Punch/ Naomi Akinkunle
