Fintter News: DICON Confirms Kaduna Factory Explosion, One Dead, Others Injured The Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) has confirmed the explosion reported earlier by SaharaReporters at its Kaduna factory, which left one person dead and several others injured. What Happened In a statement signed by spokesperson Maria Sambo, DICON revealed that the incident occurred around 10 a.m. on Saturday, September 20, 2025, at the Ordnance Factory Disposal Pit. The corporation explained that the explosion was linked to the destruction of expired production materials stored in old bunkers. These included Ammonia Nitrates, primer caps, propellants, and other chemicals that had exceeded their lifespan. Ongoing Disposal Efforts According to DICON, controlled disposal of the expired items began in July 2025. While most of the materials — including all ammonia nitrates — had already been destroyed, the blast occurred during the final phase of clearing the remaining items. Casualties One staff member died in the explosion. Several others sustained injuries and are currently being treated at the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna. The body of the deceased has been deposited in the mortuary. DICON emphasized that it remains committed to ensuring safety and will continue reviewing its disposal processes to prevent such tragedies in the future.

FG Claims N419bn Disbursed to Nearly 6m Nigerians, Promises Another N54bn Payout in August. The Federal Government says it has so far disbursed N419 billion under its conditional cash transfer programme, reaching nearly six million Nigerians. Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Tanko Sununu, disclosed this during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Monday. According to him, the initiative targets vulnerable citizens captured in the National Social Register, with 71 percent of beneficiaries from the North and 29 percent from the South. “In August, we are going to reach 2.19 million people. So far, N419 billion has been disbursed to 5.968 million Nigerians. By the end of this month, another N54 billion will be paid to 2.119 million beneficiaries,” Sununu said. He explained that each beneficiary will receive N75,000 in total, paid in three tranches of N25,000. The minister added that the government was adopting more transparent measures in the disbursement process. “We are moving away from anonymous transfers. Everything will be done publicly. We will release data per state, with details of the amounts and beneficiaries, and the information can be verified with the World Bank,” he noted. Nigeria’s conditional cash transfer programme has faced criticisms in the past over poor accountability and alleged corruption. #Fintter_news #Nigerian_news #FG #Disbursement #Funds

Nigeria Pledges Reciprocal Action Following New US Visa Requirements. The Federal Government has vowed to impose reciprocal measures after the United States introduced stricter visa requirements for Nigerian applicants. The U.S. Mission in Nigeria announced via its official X handle that all Nigerian visa applicants must now submit details of their social media accounts, email addresses, phone numbers, and usernames used over the past five years. It warned that failure to comply could lead to visa denial or future entry restrictions. Following reports that the new policy expands on earlier rules for international students, which required applicants to list and remove privacy restrictions on their social media accounts for vetting purposes. The U.S. authorities explained that the measure forms part of broader immigration policies aimed at strengthening national security. Responding, Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Kimiebi Ebienfa said Nigeria was briefed in advance of the policy and will respond with equal action. He stressed that American citizens applying for Nigerian visas will be subjected to the same requirements. “Visa matters are reciprocal. Whatever conditions are placed on our nationals, we will apply to theirs as well,” Ebienfa stated, adding that an inter-agency meeting will be convened to determine the government’s official response. #fintter_news #Nigerian_news #FG #America #Visa_requirements