News Editor
By David Odama
No fewer than four people have been reportedly killed in an explosion at Sabon Pegi in Mashegun local government area of Niger state.
The explosion was said to have occurred in the early hours of Sunday in a mining site but the police later confirmed that the incident actually occurred in a residential house.
Locals from the community confirmed that four bodies have been recovered from the scene of the blast explaining that the numbers of casualties could be higher.
It was learnt that the explosion have sent pandemonium to the entire Sabon Pegi and its neighboring villages, including New Bussa, headquarters of Borgu local government area of the state, leaving the people scampering for safety.
However, the cause of the explosion has been scanty but there are indications that poor handling of explosive devices being used by a mining company may have been responsible for the blast.
“Everybody is afraid to go close to the area for now because nobody knows what will happen next, especially when we didn’t know what must have triggered the explosion that shook the entire village, including New Bussa”, an anonymous villager said.
He said, “People were just running into the bush because initially they thought the explosion was from the hydro electricity dam in the area because it was very loud. It was later that we were told that the explosion occurred at a mining site at Sabon Pegi in Mashegun Local Government Area which shares border with some villages in Borgu Local Government Area”.
However as the dust settled down, the fears of many people of a possible terrorist attack in the area was allayed as they became aware that stressing that the explosion occurred at a mining site,
It was gathered that although the mining company usually use explosives devices for mining activities, this type of explosion and calamity had not occurred before.
“Although there is history of terrorists activities in the area here but this very incident has nothing to do with terrorists”, a witness said.
It was learnt that serious mining activities have been going on in that particular village and that this has been on for long”.
However the police in Niger reported that only one person died in the incident which occurred on 26/1/2025.
The Police Public Reations Officer (PPRO) of the Niger State Police Command, SP Wasiu Abiodun said in a statement on Sunday, ” 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 a purported mining activity”.
He added, ” 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”.
He explained that the incident affected about 12 houses in the area adding that, ” the Commissioner of Police, Niger State Command CP Shawulu Ebenezer Danmamman has ordered for an investigation into the incident,
He said EOD-CBRN unit has been dispatched to the scene for assessment adding that the said Yushau is currently at large while normalcy has been restored in the area.
