The Kano Police Command has said the explosion recorded in the eastern bypass of the state was from Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) and not from an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) as earlier speculated.
The Command’s Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Hussaini Abdullahi, said the revelation followed a post-blast investigation by the Command’s team of Explosive Ordnance Disposal – Chemical Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (EOD-CBRN) Unit Personnel.
Abdullahi said the UXOs had been unknowingly conveyed alongside scrap metals from Yobe State, and one of them accidentally exploded during the process of offloading.
He also said the team had recovered a total of nine UXO after the ugly incident that claimed the lives of five and left several others with varying degrees of injuries.
According to him, “Following the incident of explosion at Yongxing Steel Company located along Ring Road, Mariri Quarters, Kano, at about 11:30 AM on Saturday, the 21st of June, 2025, a post-blast investigation by the command’s team of Explosive Ordnance Disposal – Chemical Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (EOD-CBRN) Unit Personnel reveals the explosion came from an Unexploded Ordnance (UXO), NOT from an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) as was initially speculated.
“The UXOs had been unknowingly conveyed alongside scrap metals from Yobe State, and one of them was accidentally exploded during the process of offloading.
“Premised on this, the command urges members of the public to remain calm and avoid unnecessary panic, as there is no imminent security threat.
“Furthermore, in addition to the earlier 7 recovered UXOs, 2 UXOs were later recovered from the scene, bringing it to a total of nine that have been recovered.
“The State Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, extends his condolences to the families of the 5 persons who lost their lives in the blast and prays for the speedy recovery of others injured, all of whom are currently receiving treatment at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano.
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has explained what really caused the deadly explosion that happened in Kano on June 21, 2025.
Egbetokun said a truck came into Kano from Yobe State carrying a load of scrap metal. He said the company that brought the metal scraps to Kano did not know that they were UXO (unexploded ordnance).
Egbetokun said UXOs are often found in battle areas where the military has operated. He said they look like ordinary metal pieces, so scavengers usually pick them up without knowing how dangerous they are.
Egbetokun said that when the truck arrived in Kano with the metals scraps containing UXOs, one of it exploded. He said that was what caused the blast and the deaths. He said this was not a case of criminals planting a bomb or using explosives on purpose.
In Egbetokun’s words: “In Kano there was no bombing in, what happened was there was an explosion. A truck came from Yobe State loaded with metal scraps, unknown to the company that brought the metal scraps to Kano, the metal scraps contained UXOs. UXOs are Unexploded Ordnance, military ordnance that are not exploded.
“They look like metal if you see them. You see them in battle areas where the military have operated, when you see them they look like normal metals so these scavengers would pick them and put them in their scraps. That was what happened in Kano, so it was not a case of IED, it was a case of UXO exploding. So there was no bombing in Kano”
