A powerful explosion rocked the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) factory in the Kakuri Industrial area of Kaduna South, Kaduna State, on Saturday morning, September 20, 2025. The blast, whose cause remains unknown, was heard across parts of the city, particularly in Chikun and Kaduna South local government areas, raising fears of multiple casualties.
Sources report one confirmed death and several injuries, with the wounded rushed to nearby hospitals, including the Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna. Eyewitnesses described the explosion as severe, and investigations are ongoing to determine its cause and the extent of the damage.
Related Incident: Insurgent Attack in Borno Claims Lives
In a separate incident, insurgents attacked military barracks in Banki, Bama LGA, Borno State, on Thursday night around 10:15 pm. The assault targeted the Bula Yobe forward operating base, 152 Battalion, and the divisional police headquarters, resulting in the deaths of two soldiers and a nine-year-old boy, Ismail Abubakar. Three military vehicles were also set ablaze.
Troops, facing heavy gunfire, called for air support. Two A-29 Super Tucano aircraft, guided by intelligence, conducted strikes on the fleeing insurgents, killing 32 members of Boko Haram and ISWAP, according to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication. The soldiers’ bodies were taken to Maiduguri, while the boy’s remains were handed over to his family. Additional reinforcements have been deployed to Banki and surrounding areas.
