The Kano State government has banned purchase of scrap materials from North East states.
The ban comes after a bomb explosion that killed five people and left many injured at a metal scrap factory in Hotoro area of Kano metropolis.
The state's Commissioner for Security and Home Affairs, Ibrahim Umaru, announced the ban at a press conference in Kano on Wednesday.
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According to the commissioner, preliminary findings showed that the improvised explosive devices used in the attacks were hidden in the scraps believed to be imported from insurgency-hit north east.
He said, "In light of the recent bomb blasts that tragically claimed five lives and injured several others, we have traced the origin of the explosives to scrap materials brought in from the Northeast.
"That region has long been affected by Boko Haram activities, and we cannot afford to take any chances.
"This directive is a preventive measure to protect the lives and property of our citizens. All dealers in scrap materials are hereby instructed to immediately stop importing such items from the Northeast. Anyone found violating this order will face the full weight of the law," Umaru added.
The commissioner, however, said the state was not banning the scrap business entirely, but is targeting imports from areas flagged as security risks.
"We are not banning the business of scrap entirely. But bringing them in from high-risk zones without thorough scrutiny endangers everyone," he added.
