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Site condoned by military
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Dealer on the run
From John Adams, Minna
More bodies have been recovered from the scene of the Sunday morning explosion at a mining site in Sabon Pegi, Mashegun Local Government Area of Niger State, bringing the total to 25.
An unspecified number of people are said to have suffered various degrees of injuries and are in critical condition, receiving treatment at various hospitals in New Bussa.
The search and rescue operation is still ongoing, as more people, including women and children, are said to be missing or buried under the rubble.
Over 50 percent of residential buildings and shops in the village have been reduced to rubble due to the explosion.
An additional source from the village suggested that the explosive devices may have been stored in a shop a few meters from the mining site.
A middle-aged man, simply identified as Yushau, based in New Bussa, was said to have stored the explosive devices he deals in at his uncle’s house, which he uses as a shop in Sabon Pegi.
According to our source, Yushau has taken to his heels and gone into hiding after the explosion.
Meanwhile, the military has cordoned off the area even as the villagers continue searching for more bodies.