The Kano State Government has banned the purchase and importation of scrap materials from North-East Nigeria, following a deadly explosion in the Hotoro area of the Kano metropolis that killed five people and injured several others. The announcement was made on Wednesday by the Commissioner for Security and Home Affairs, Alhaji Ibrahim Umaru, during a press briefing in Kano. He explained that preliminary investigations revealed the explosives used in the blast were concealed within scrap metals suspected to have originated from the insurgency-plagued 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 brought in from the North-East,” he said. Umaru added that the long-standing security challenges in the North-East, particularly the activities of Boko Haram, prompted the urgent directive. “We cannot afford to take any chances. This directive is a preventive measure to protect the lives and property of our citizens,” he said.All scrap dealers in Kano have been ordered to cease importing metal waste from the North-East with immediate effect. “Anyone found violating this order will face the full weight of the law,” the commissioner warned.
The explosion occurred earlier in the week at a scrap processing site in Hotoro, causing widespread panic and property damage. While investigations are ongoing, intelligence reports point to Yobe State as the likely source of the explosive-laced scrap materials.
This development echoes similar actions taken in 2023 by Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum, who banned metal scavenging in response to rising Boko Haram attacks on firewood loggers and scrap collectors. The move aimed to disrupt the use of scrap trade routes for transporting explosives and other illicit materials by terror groups in the region.
Source : https://zagazola.org/
