Kaduna State governor, Uba Sani, has ordered a multi-agency investigation into the explosion involving a liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered bus at Mando Motor Park, assuring residents that the incident was not security-related.
The directive followed preliminary findings by the Kaduna State Government, which linked the early morning blast on Sunday, April 5 to a technical fault, allegedly caused by the overfilling of a compressed natural gas tank.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Ahmed Maiyaki, described the explosion as minor and dismissed speculations of a bomb attack.
"The incident was not a bomb explosion. There was no casualty and no significant property damage. The situation was swiftly brought under control, and normal activities have since resumed," Maiyaki said.
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He added that the governor had directed security agencies, technical regulators, and safety authorities to uncover both the immediate and remote causes of the explosion.
"The Governor has mandated a comprehensive probe to ensure that all necessary safety standards are upheld and to prevent a recurrence," he stated.
Maiyaki also commended the prompt response of the Kaduna State Police Command, particularly its Bomb Disposal Unit, for securing the scene and calming public fears.
He urged residents to ignore unverified reports and go about their lawful activities without panic.
However, the operator of the affected vehicle, Silver Luxury Travel, has rejected the government's preliminary findings, insisting that the cause of the explosion remains unknown.
"The cause of the explosion has not been ascertained. It is therefore premature to attribute it to any specific factor, including overfilling of a gas tank," the company said.
The firm disclosed that the explosion affected two of its buses parked side by side at its Kaduna terminal--one powered by LNG and the other by diesel.
According to the company, the blast occurred between the two vehicles, damaging a fuel tank and a gas canister, making it difficult to determine the exact source.
"Both buses have multiple tanks, but only those on the affected side were impacted," the statement added.
While not ruling out possible sabotage, the company said the incident had been reported to the police and pledged full cooperation with investigators.
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It further clarified that, contrary to earlier claims, none of its buses runs on compressed natural gas.
"Only one of the affected buses is LNG-powered, and the tank was not overfilled as speculated," the company stated.
The incident has sparked fresh concerns over safety compliance in the use of gas-powered vehicles, particularly as transport operators increasingly adopt alternative fuel systems amid rising energy costs.
