The Kano State Government has announced an immediate ban on the importation of scrap materials from North-Eastern states, including Borno and Yobe, following a recent bomb explosion that claimed five lives and left several others injured.
Commissioner for Security and Home Affairs, Ibrahim Umaru, disclosed the decision at a press conference on Wednesday, linking the deadly incident to metal waste brought into Kano from insurgency-affected areas in the North-East.
“In light of the recent bomb blasts that tragically claimed five lives and injured several others, we have traced the origin of the explosives to scrap materials imported from the Northeast,” Umaru said. “That region has long been affected by Boko Haram activities, and we cannot afford to take any chances.”
Preliminary findings revealed that improvised explosive devices (IEDs) used in the attacks were hidden among the imported scrap. Umaru emphasised that the ban is a preventive measure to safeguard lives and property.
“All dealers in scrap materials are hereby instructed to immediately stop importing such items from the Northeast. Anyone found violating this order will face the full weight of the law,” he warned.
He clarified that the government is not banning the scrap business entirely but is targeting imports from areas considered high security risks. “Bringing in scrap from high-risk zones without proper checks endangers everyone,” he added.
The ban follows Monday’s explosion at a scrapyard in Kofar Dawanau, Dala Local Government Area, which killed one person and injured six others. The blast occurred around 5:30 pm as workers were offloading metal scraps from a semi-trailer.
A preliminary report by the Bomb Disposal Unit indicated the explosion was triggered by an old hand grenade mixed with other metallic items. The deceased, 55-year-old Hamisu Uzairu, a labourer from PRP Kwanar Jaba Quarters in Nasarawa LGA, was confirmed dead at Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital, where the six injured victims — Sani Ahmed, Najib Sani, Jabir Tijani, Wada Abdullahi, Huzaifa Yusha’u, and Bilyaminu Sani — also received treatment.
The scrapyard owner, Jamilu Zakari Salisu, reported the incident to the Dala Divisional Police Headquarters, and the area was cordoned off for investigation.
Police investigations into the source of the unexploded device are ongoing, though the State Police Command has yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
Monday’s explosion came barely a week after another blast on June 21 at the Hotoro Eastern Bypass area of Kano, which killed at least five people and injured 15 others.
ADEOLA KUNLE
