The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake has said the illegal stockpiling of explosives is responsible for the explosion in Sabon Pegi, Mashegun Local Government Area of Niger State on Sunday.

A statement issued on Monday night and signed by Alake’s Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, revealed that preliminary investigations suggested that the explosion was caused by the illegal stockpiling of explosives by one Yushua Maikampala, a resident of New Bussa.

The statement also indicated that the minister had on Sunday dispatched officials of the Federal Mines Office in the state to the blast site for an on-the-spot assessment.

The statement pointed out that Maikampala is believed to have been involved in purchasing and storing explosives and their accessories in a house in Sabo Pegi, Mashegun Local Government Area of the State.

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The minister expressed condolences to the victims, describing the incident as avoidable given the negligence surrounding the handling and illegal storage of explosives by the alleged culprit.

Meanwhile, the minister has directed relevant ministry officials, including the Mines Inspectorate Department, to carry out forensic analysis of soil samples collected from the blast site to determine the source of the explosives, which would guide the next course of action.

He said: “Security agencies have been put on the trail of the suspected culprit. He will be apprehended to face justice.

“The federal government remains committed to ensuring that mining operators adhere to strict environmental and safety standards to avert a recurrence of the unfortunate incident.”