The Bauchi State Police Command has said the January 22, 2023 explosion in Azare, the headquarters of Katagum Local Government Area of the state, was not a terrorist attack.
The Commissioner of Police in Bauchi State, Aminu Alhassan, revealed this on Monday in Azare when he spoke.
He spoke when Governor Bala Mohammed visited the Emir of Katagum, Alhaji Umar Farouk II, to commiserate with him and the people of the area over the incident.
According to Alhassan, the explosion was from to dynamites kept in an old structure for over 30 years by a construction company.
He said the people in the area were trying to clear the bushy old structure by putting fire on it, which led to the explosion of the dynamites.
The Commissioner explained that although the explosion destroyed the structure, affected a school and a place of worship, there was no casualty recorded.
He urged the people of the area as well as the state at large to remain calm as the situation was under control, adding that the structure had been cordoned.
Governor Mohammed said he was in the area to commiserate with the Emirate over the explosion and robbery of a Point of Sale operator in Zaki Local Government Area of the state on Friday where four people were injured and hospitalised in the Federal Medical Centre, Azare.
He said his administration was conscious and passionate about security of lives and property of the people of the state.
He said: “The Bauchi State Government is ready to ensure safety of lives and property in the state and we will also double our efforts to make sure that those that are far away from the state capital are given special consideration.
“I would like to appreciate His Royal Highness, the Emir of Katagum for being passionate about the security of the people in the Emirate.
“We, as a government, promise to provide more support to the security agencies in the state to enable them to perform their duties effectively.”
Responding, the emir lauded the Governor for his prompt response to the issue, adding that his actions had demonstrated that he was passionate about the well-being of all the people of the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the governor visited the explosion site as well as the victims of the robbery at the Federal Medical Centre, Azare, where they were receiving treatment.
