‘DICON Explosion Not Sabotage But Safety Lapse’, Says Security Expert

General Manager of Beacon Security and Intelligence, Kabir Adamu, has ruled out sabotage in the recent explosion at the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), attributing the incident to safety issues.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Monday, Adamu explained that preliminary indications showed that the blast was the result of mishandling of expired weapon components rather than a deliberate act of destruction.

“From all indications, what happened was not a sabotage but a safety explosion. The number of fatalities were low and I like the way the state handled it,” he said.

Adamu further noted that while the incident was regrettable, it reflected the inherent risks associated with ammunition and explosives management.

He explained that the explosion occurred in a decomposition pit where expired materials were being decommissioned.

“What happened could have been prevented, but as we know, these are materials that are components for assembling different kinds of weapons, including ammonium nitrates,” he said.

The security expert linked the increased production activities at DICON to the federal government’s drive to boost local arms manufacturing capacity.

According to him, President Bola Tinubu’s administration has expanded local weapon production by about 40 percent, a move he praised as a step toward self-sufficiency and potential export opportunities.

“Some of us have commended President Tinubu for increasing our production of weaponry by 40 percent so that the money used for importation will go into something else and we can start selling to other countries—some nations are already indicating interest,” Adamu stated.

However, he stressed that such expansion also comes with heightened risks, underscoring the need for strict adherence to safety and disposal protocols.

He urged Nigerians to await the findings of the investigative committee set up to probe the explosion before drawing final conclusions.

“Until the committee comes up with a report to say ‘this is what happened,’ it will be a bit hard to categorically state the exact cause,” he added.

LEADERSHIP recalls that the DICON explosion, which shook parts of Kaduna last week, sparked initial fears of sabotage or terrorism, before authorities clarified that it was an internal safety incident.