Zamfara state – A gunpowder explosion has killed two persons and injured dozen of people at the Talata Mafara weekly market in Zamfara State.
The victims – Muhammad Lawal Matusgi and Sani Adamu Kanarkalgo died while receiving treatment at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto.
As reported by The Punch, the tragic incident occurred around 11:30 am on Tuesday, February 18, 2025.
The explosion reportedly injured more than 50 traders and customers in the section of the market where locally fabricated guns are sold.
The Divisional Secretary of the Red Cross, Mu’azu Yusuf, said former Governor Abdulazeez Yari provided vehicles to transport all the injured, including those initially admitted at Talata Mafara General Hospital, to Sokoto for specialist care.
The Divisional Secretary of the Red Cross, Mu’azu Yusuf, said former Governor Abdulazeez Yari provided vehicles to transport the injured and those initially admitted at Talata Mafara General Hospital, to Sokoto for specialist care.
A local government worker, who requested anonymity, said the explosion affected other sections of the market.
He said residents have raised concerns about the presence of Dane gun dealers, but the authorities did nothing about it.
“Just last year, a young girl was killed due to an accidental discharge in the same section of the market. We are calling on the government to relocate the gun sellers to a safer place outside town,”
However, he dismissed calls for a ban on Dane gun sales, insisting that villagers depend on them for self-defense against bandits.
also reported that cumulatively, 120 Nigerians reportedly lost their lives every two weeks of January to fuel tanker explosions across states in the north and south.
Most of the deaths linked to tanker explosions happened when the people in the area tried to scoop the fuel from a tanker involved in an accident.
Abdulganiyu Jaji, the Controller General of the Federal Fire Service, recently urged tanker drivers to adopt anti-spill locks, adding that the explosions are avoidable.
