The Kano State Government has directed all scrap dealers to immediately halt the importation of metal waste and scrap items from the North‑East, specifically Borno and Yobe states. Announced on Wednesday by the Commissioner for Security and Home Affairs, AVM Ibrahim Umaru (Rtd), the move follows thorough investigations linking recent bomb blasts in Kano to explosives concealed within scrap materials sourced from insurgency‑affected areas
Citing evidence that some of the improvised explosive devices (IEDs) used in the attacks were smuggled through scrap shipments from the North‑East—home to Boko Haram activities—the Commissioner described the ban as a precautionary step aimed at protecting lives and properties within Kano
The action comes after the tragic bomb explosions claimed five lives and injured several others.
Umaru clarified that this directive does not signal a blanket ban on the scrap industry, but specifically targets materials from high‑risk zones which have not undergone strict scrutiny. Any dealer found flouting the order, he warned, will face the full force of the law
The ban underscores Kano’s proactive stance in tightening security protocols around seemingly innocuous trade activities, as authorities intensify efforts to disrupt unconventional means of smuggling explosives into the state
