Police attributes Giwa Barracks explosion to ‘friendly-fire’, urges calm

The Borno State Police Command has issued a statement reassuring residents of Maiduguri, the state capital, following the loud explosions heard on Wednesday night emanating from Giwa Barracks.

The police clarified that the incident was a result of “friendly-fire” and not an attack by hostile forces, urging the public to remain calm.

According to the command’s spokesperson, Nahum Daso, preliminary investigations indicate that the explosions originated within the barracks’ armoury.

The official statement read in part, “Following reports received of explosions heard in Maiduguri, preliminary investigations indicate that the detonation originated from a friendly-fire incident at Giwa Barracks armoury. No enemy attack recorded, and the security situation remains firmly under control.”

Daso further noted that security forces, Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) experts, and the fire service were promptly deployed to the scene to manage the situation and extinguish the resulting fire. “We call on members of the public to remain calm, as the situation is under control. Further details and updates will be provided as more information becomes available,” he stated.

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Separately, the Borno State Government offered a possible explanation for the fire that led to the armoury explosion, suggesting that the extreme heat currently being experienced in the state may have been a contributing factor.

An earlier statement from the Directorate of Fire Service, under the state’s Ministry of Information and Internal Security, confirmed that the fire had been successfully extinguished.

The statement detailed, “The fire incident affected the ammunition facility within the barracks, and some munitions have exploded, causing loud bangs. Preliminary investigation revealed that the intense heat in Maiduguri around this time of the year may have triggered or conflagrated the fire. A combined team of first responders from the Nigerian Army Fire Service, Federal Fire Service and Borno State Fire Service have duly report at the scene and successfully put out the fire.”

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