*Commiseriates with family of deceased, hospitalised staff
The management of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) has explained why an explosion occurred at its Ordnance Factory Disposal pit, on Saturday, 20 September 2025.
The explosion which occurred at about 10 am, left one person dead and unspecified number of personnel injured.
According to Maria Sambo, the Public Relations Officer at DICON: “Some old storage bunkers used to store Raw Materials for production contained several expired materials for production which have exceeded their lifespans, including a large quantity of Ammonia Nitrates, Primer Caps, Propellants and others.
“DICON had earlier initiated efforts since July 2025 to ensure the controlled disposal of these expired items and successfully destroyed all the Ammonia Nitrates and the majority of other items.
“However, the unfortunate accident of the explosion occurred while specialists were concluding the destruction of the remaining quantity of the expired items at the disposal pit on Saturday, 20 September 2025.
“The injured DICON staff are currently receiving treatment at 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna, while the body of the deceased Personnel has been deposited at the mortuary.
“While commiserating with staff, families and friends of the deceased and wishing the injured a quick recovery, DICON assures the general public that the unfortunate incident is under control and there is no need for panic.
“The neighbouring community is assured that DICON, as a responsible professional organisation, has institutionalised operational safety to the highest level, and they can go about their normal business. The remaining materials have been made safe.
“Accordingly, a Board of Inquiry has been instituted to unravel the immediate cause of the unfortunate incident”.
Recall that on 27th January, 2002, there was a huge armoury explosion at a Military facility in Lagos.
It was described, just like the DICON occurrence, as “accidental detonation of a large stock of high explosives at a military storage facility”.
The fires created by the debris from this explosion burnt down a large section of Northern Lagos, and created a panic that spread to other areas.
As people fled the flames, many stumbled into a concealed canal and drowned.
The explosion and its aftermath are believed to have killed at least 1,100 people and displaced over 20,000, with many thousands injured or homeless.
Government had back then launched an enquiry, which blamed the Nigerian Army for failing to properly maintain the base, or to decommission it when instructed to do so in 2001.
The Saturday’s DICON explosion was said to have “occurred while specialists were concluding the destruction of the remaining quantity of the expired items at the disposal pit”.
