By Peter Onyekachukwu 
Peter Onyekachukwu
In a decisive response to a deadly bomb explosion that rocked Kano State, the state government has announced an immediate ban on the importation of scrap metal from Nigeria’s insurgency-troubled North-East region.
The tragic incident, which occurred at a metal scrap factory in the Hotoro area of Kano metropolis, claimed five lives and left at least 15 others injured. Authorities now say the explosion was caused by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that were smuggled into the state hidden among scrap materials.
Speaking at a press conference in Kano, the State Commissioner for Security and Home Affairs, Ibrahim Umaru, said preliminary investigations traced the source of the deadly materials to scrap consignments brought in from the North-East, a region plagued by years of insurgency and Boko Haram violence.
“We cannot fold our arms while our people are being endangered,” Umaru declared. “The tragic loss of lives in the Hotoro explosion has made it clear that scrap materials from insurgency-hit zones pose a serious risk to public safety. This ban is a preventive step to safeguard the lives and property of Kano residents.”
He added that the ban is not a blanket crackdown on the scrap metal trade, which supports many livelihoods in the state, but a targeted measure focused on scrap sourced from high-risk zones. “We are not banning the entire scrap business. What we are saying is: don’t bring in scrap from places where insurgents are known to operate. It’s a matter of life and death,” he stressed.
Residents of the affected area are still reeling from the impact of the blast, which left behind a trail of destruction. A scrap dealer, who narrowly escaped the explosion, recounted, “We were just sorting through the items when the blast went off. People died instantly. Nobody thought these scraps could carry something that deadly.”
Security experts have long warned about the risk of arms and explosives being hidden in scrap metal, particularly in regions with porous borders and limited screening capacity. The recent explosion has now added urgency to those concerns.
The Kano State Government has pledged to work closely with law enforcement and border agencies to ensure strict compliance with the new directive. “Anyone found importing scrap from the North-East will face the full wrath of the law,” Umaru warned.
As investigations continue, families of victims and survivors are calling for tighter security checks on commercial goods entering the state, especially those from conflict-prone areas. The incident has not only exposed vulnerabilities in the scrap industry but also reignited fears over how easily deadly materials can travel across state lines undetected.