The Kano State Government has imposed an immediate ban on the purchase and importation of scrap materials from North-East Nigeria, following a deadly explosion that claimed five lives and injured several others in the Hotoro area of Kano metropolis.

The Commissioner for Security and Home Affairs, Alhaji Ibrahim Umaru, disclosed this on Wednesday while addressing journalists in Kano.

Umaru said preliminary investigations indicated that the explosives used in the attack were concealed within scrap metals believed to have originated from the insurgency-ravaged 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.

“That region has long been affected by Boko Haram activities, and we cannot afford to take any chances. This directive is a preventive measure to protect the lives and property of our citizens,” he added.

The commissioner said all scrap dealers across the state have been directed to halt the importation of metal waste from the North-East with immediate effect.

“Anyone found violating this order will face the full weight of the law,” he warned.

The explosion, which occurred earlier this week, ripped through a scrap processing site in the Hotoro area, causing panic and extensive damage in the neighbourhood.

While officials are yet to determine the exact source of the explosives, intelligence sources suggest that most of the scrap metals linked to the blast originated from Yobe State, not Borno.

In 2023, Borno Governor Babagana Zulum banned metal scavenging in the state. The decision was prompted by increased Boko Haram attacks targeting firewood loggers and scrap collectors in rural areas.

The measures were aimed at curtailing the exploitation of scrap trade routes for the movement of explosives and other illicit materials by terror groups operating in the region. (Zagazola, but headline rejigged)