Panic In Kano! Government Bans Scrap Imports From Northeast Over Bomb Fears

The administration of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf in Kano State has announced an immediate ban on the importation of scrap materials from parts of the North-East and North-West, notably Borno and Yobe states, following a recent bomb blast that killed five people and injured several others.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

This directive was issued by the state’s Commissioner for Security and Home Affairs, Ibrahim Umaru, during a press conference held in Kano on Wednesday.

Umaru revealed that preliminary investigations linked the explosives involved in the blast to scrap materials imported from the North-East, a region plagued by the Boko Haram insurgency.

“In response to the recent explosions that led to multiple casualties, we’ve traced the source of the explosives to scrap transported from the North-East,” he stated. “Given the region’s history of insurgency, we must act swiftly to protect lives.”

He explained that suspected improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were likely concealed among the metal debris, which eventually reached local scrapyards. The commissioner emphasized that the ban is a preventive measure, urging all scrap dealers to immediately halt the importation of such materials from high-risk zones.

“Effective immediately, all scrap dealers must stop bringing in metal waste from the Northeast,” Umaru warned. “Violators will face serious legal consequences.”

Scrap Trade Still Allowed—With Caution

Umaru clarified that the government is not outlawing the scrap business entirely but is focused on intercepting materials from areas considered security threats.

“We’re not shutting down the scrap business,” he said. “However, importing from conflict zones without proper screening poses a grave danger to everyone.”

This development follows the deadly explosion that rocked a scrapyard in Kofar Dawanau, Dala Local Government Area of Kano on Monday around 5:30 p.m., as workers were unloading scrap metal from a semi-trailer (license plate PKM 709 ZY).

The preliminary findings from the Bomb Disposal Unit revealed that an old hand grenade, mixed in with the scrap, was the cause of the explosion.

One of the victims, 55-year-old Hamisu Uzairu from PRP Kwanar Jaba Quarters in Nasarawa LGA, was confirmed dead at Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital, Kano. Six others—Sani Ahmed, Najib Sani, Jabir Tijani, Wada Abdullahi, Huzaifa Yusha’u, and Bilyaminu Sani—sustained various degrees of injuries and received treatment.

The scrapyard owner, Jamilu Zakari Salisu, reported the incident to Dala Divisional Police Headquarters, and the site has since been secured for further investigation.

Notably, this latest tragedy occurred just a week after a similar explosion at the Hotoro Eastern Bypass area of Kano, which also claimed five lives and injured 15 others.

While the Kano State Police Command has yet to release an official statement on Monday’s incident, investigations into the origin of the explosives are still ongoing.