The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has said the explosion that occurred on Wednesday, January 24, 2024 near a refuse dump outside the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) premises in Maitama, Abuja, was not connected to bomb explosion as been alleged on the social media.

The FCT Police spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, in a statement on Wednesday, said an overheated metal refuse container activated under intense heat to cause the explosion at about 11:45am.

He said its rapid response team and members of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit were deployed to assess the situation and preliminary findings indicated than an overheated metal refuse container activated under intense heat and exploded, thereby causing injury to two of the refuse evacuators, who are currently receiving medical attention in Maitama General Hospital.

The FCT Police Command, therefore, urged members of the public “to exercise caution and refrain from using metal refuse bins,” adding that, “Instead, we recommend the use of plastic or rubber containers for waste disposal, as they pose a reduced risk of incidents related to over-heated metal refuse container.”

END.