The Niger State Police Command has launched an investigation into a dynamite explosion in Sabon-Pegi, Mashegu Local Government Area, which claimed one life, injured six individuals, and destroyed 12 residential buildings.
The incident, which occurred on January 26, 2025, at approximately 7:30 a.m., was attributed to dynamites reportedly stored in a residential area by an individual identified as Yushau.
The explosives were allegedly intended for mining purposes.
Confirming the incident on Tuesday, the Commissioner of Police in Niger State, Shawulu Danmamman, revealed that a woman, Fatima Sadauki, lost her life in the explosion.
The six injured victims were promptly taken to the General Hospital in Kainji for medical treatment.
“An explosion involving suspected dynamites occurred at Sabon-Pegi, Mashegu LGA, causing the unfortunate death of one Fatima Sadauki. Six others sustained injuries and are receiving medical attention,” Danmamman said.
He noted that the Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear unit of the command had been deployed to the site to assess the situation. However, the individual responsible for storing the dynamites, Yushau, remains at large.
“We have commenced an investigation into the incident, and the EOD-CBRN unit is on-site for assessment. Unfortunately, the suspect is currently at large. Normalcy has been restored, but monitoring is ongoing,” the police chief added.
Danmamman also emphasized the importance of community cooperation in crime prevention, expressing disappointment over the lack of proactive intelligence-sharing by residents.
“If the community had alerted us about the owner of the dynamites and the nature of his business, we could have acted swiftly to prevent this tragedy,” he said.
He urged residents to maintain vigilance and report suspicious activities to authorities. “When people see something, they should say something to ensure the safety of our communities,” Danmamman advised.
