AN explosion suspected to have originated from gunpowder production have rocked the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) in Kaduna, leaving two workers dead and four others injured.
The explosion occurred at about 10 am on Saturday, September 20, at the corporation’s factory in Kurmin Gwari, a densely populated area of Kaduna metropolis.
Residents near the factory told journalists that the blast was so powerful that it rattled nearby buildings, causing panic as people scrambled for safety, while military personnel cordoned off the entire area around the factory afterwards.
An eyewitness told The Punch that the explosion occurred while gunpowder materials used in arms production were being manufactured.
“It was an explosion from the production of gunpowder—something called primer powder. It killed a military officer instantly, as well as one civilian worker. Four other civilian workers were critically injured. Their conditions are serious,” the source, who pleaded anonymity said.
Reports indicate that the injured were first taken to St. Gerard Catholic Hospital in Kakuri, about two kilometres from the factory, for emergency care before a military ambulance later transferred them to the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna for further treatment.
Founded in 1964, the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria is the nation’s leading arms manufacturer, tasked with producing weapons and ammunition for the Nigerian Armed Forces.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.