By Ameh Gabriel
Kaduna – September 22, 2025
The Minister of State for Defense, Bello Mohammed Matawalle, has ordered a full investigation into the September 20 explosion at the Defense Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) facility in Kaduna.
Matawalle gave the directive when he visited the scene of the incident for an on-the-spot assessment, where he was briefed on immediate response measures taken by military personnel.
In a statement signed by Pat Ituke, Principal Superintendent of Press on behalf of the Director of Information and Public Relations, the Minister expressed concern over the incident but commended the swift intervention of the armed forces in containing the situation.
Preliminary reports indicated that the explosion occurred while specialists were disposing of expired ordnance materials, including ammonium nitrate, primer caps, propellants, and other hazardous substances.
The Defence Minister assured that DICON would continue operations under strict safety protocols and pledged government’s support to strengthen preventive measures.
“We are determined to get to the root of this incident. The safety of personnel and the integrity of our facilities remain a top priority,” Matawalle said.
He further emphasized that lessons learned from the incident would guide reforms to ensure such occurrences do not happen again.
