The Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Muhammad Matawalle, on Sunday assured Nigerians that the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) remains safe and fully operational after an explosion at its ordnance factory in Kaduna.
Matawalle, who visited the site on Saturday, said the situation was “fully under control” and urged the public to disregard misleading or exaggerated reports about the incident.
A statement by his media aide, Ahmad Dan-Wudil, explained that the Minister was briefed by DICON’s Director-General, Major General B.I. Alaya, and the Director of Production, Air Commodore E. Benson.
During the inspection, Matawalle confirmed that the explosion was limited in scope, involving “only a single bulk of expired ordnance material” which was quickly contained by the disposal team.
“There was not even a broken window or structural damage,” the Minister said, adding that factory buildings, storage facilities, the diesel reservoir and surrounding communities were unaffected.
He stressed that the Federal Government remained committed to the safety and protection of all personnel, pledging that the incident would lead to stronger safety measures in line with global best practices.
Meanwhile, a Board of Inquiry has been set up to investigate the cause of the explosion.