The Plateau State Police Command has confirmed that two people were killed and three others injured in an explosion at a filling station in Daffo District, Bokkos Local Government Area, dismissing viral claims that the incident was a bomb blast or part of a wider security crisis in the state.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Alfred Alabo, described reports linking the blast to terrorism or unrest as false, misleading and alarmist. He said the explosion occurred at Natty Petroleum Investment Nigeria Ltd while artisans were carrying out welding repairs on one of the station’s underground storage tanks.
According to the police, the incident was immediately reported to the command, prompting the Commissioner of Police to direct the Divisional Police Officer to mobilise officers to the scene for rescue and emergency response. The injured victims were evacuated to Cottage Hospital, Bokkos, while the bodies of the deceased were taken to the morgue.
The command said its Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit, also known as the Anti-Bomb Squad, was deployed to conduct a preliminary investigation. Findings from that inquiry, police said, showed that the explosion was purely accidental and had no connection to terrorism or any improvised explosive device attack.
Police identified one of the victims as 24-year-old Emmanuel Mapak and said the three injured persons were receiving treatment for varying degrees of burns and other injuries. The full identities of the other victims were not immediately made public.
The clarification comes against the backdrop of recurring security tensions in Plateau State, where misinformation can quickly trigger fear among residents. By moving swiftly to debunk the rumours, the police appeared keen to prevent panic and stop the spread of false narratives that could inflame an already sensitive environment. That broader local sensitivity is part of why the command publicly stressed calm, though this specific incident was described as an industrial accident rather than a security attack.
The command urged residents to ignore unverified reports and rely only on official sources for information. It also warned individuals and media platforms against spreading claims capable of undermining public peace, saying such misinformation could create unnecessary tension across the state.
Police said they remain committed to maintaining peace and security in Plateau and called on the public to remain calm
