The owner of the dynamites that exploded in the state’s Mashegu Local Government Area, killing one person and wounding six others, is still at large, according to the Niger State Police Command.
The incident happened on Monday at Sabon-pegi, Mashegu LG, when the dynamites kept in a residential area by one Yushau for a purported mining activity exploded.
The incident, which was confirmed by the state commissioner of police, Shawulu Danmamman, on Tuesday, killed one Fatima Sadauki and left six persons injured. 12 residential buildings were also destroyed.
“On January 26th, 2025, at about 7.30am, there was an explosion of some suspected dynamites at Sabon-Pegi, Mashegu LGA, which was reportedly kept in a residential area by one Yushau for purported mining activity.
“The explosion led to the unfortunate death of one Fatima Sadauki, while six others were injured and taken to general hospital Kainji for medical attention.
“The incident affected about 12 houses in the area, and an investigation into the incident has commenced. The EOD-CBRN unit of the Command has been dispatched to the scene for assessment, but the said Yushau is currently at large. However, normalcy has been restored in the area while monitoring continues,” Danmamman said.
The police boss said the command expected more from the community by giving intelligence to the police.
He added, “If the community had identified the owner of the dynamite and informed the police of the kind of business he does, we would have arrested the suspect and evacuated the items, and the incident would have been avoided.”
He urged residents of the state to always cooperate with the police to combat crimes.
“When people see something, they should say something for the safety of our community,” he said.