Victor EzejaIbadan the capital city of Oyo, southwest Nigeria was on Tuesday night thrown into pandemonium when a mass explosion hit, killing two people, and injuring about 77 persons, according to reports.
The state governor, Seyi Makinde, who visited the scene of the explosion, said preliminary investigation shows that the explosion was caused by illegal miners residing in one of the houses in Bodija, Ibadan.
‘‘Preliminary investigations by the security agencies revealed that illegal miners occupying one of the houses in Bodija had stored explosive devices there which caused the blast. The investigations are ongoing. All those found culpable for this will be brought to book,” Governor Makinde said.
In a statement posted on his X page on early Wednesday morning, the governor said earth moving equipment, ambulances, emergency lights, and security were deployed to the scene of the incident, adding that those injured were being evacuated to hospitals for proper medical care.
The disclosed that the medical bills of those injured will be covered by the government.
“I urge all residents to please call 615 for any emergencies they may be experiencing at this time and to remain calm and stay away from the immediate scene of the incident to allow rescue operations to be carried out without interference,” he further stated.
He thanked the first responders, security personnel and all those who were at the scene to assist with the rescue operations as well as the medical personnel taking care of the injured.
Pictures and videos of the incident circulated on social media show 20 houses and cars parked close by that were damaged by the blast.
According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), “Over 20 houses were affected. Casualty figures cannot be ascertained for now. Search and rescue operation is still ongoing.”
Extent of Damage
The incident which occurred at Adeyi Avenue, Bodija, at 7:44 pm on Tuesday night, also impacted other parts of Ibadan.
According to reports, the blast also rocked Agbowo, Eleyele, Orogun, Ologuneru, Eleyele, Apete, and other significant neighborhoods of Ibadan in addition to Bodija, the site of the explosion.
Additionally, the explosion shook parts of the University College Hospital (UCH), the teaching hospital for the University of Ibadan, particularly the School of Nursing hostels.
Some of the State Secretariat’s offices were also affected by the explosion, which occurred roughly two kilometers away from the location.
Among these are the Water Corporation Building, the Revenue House, the State Secretariat Chapel, the State Secretariat Central Mosque, the Governor’s Officer, and the Local Government Staff Training School.
Was it really A blast caused by Illegal Miners?
With the extent of the damage, Nigerians have taken to social media to question the veracity of the claims by authorities that it was caused by explosives stored by miners. Some alleged that it could be a targeted attack by criminals and that only a missile could wreak such havoc within the time it happened.
However, the state governor has assured that investigations are ongoing, and no stone will be left unturned in unraveling the true cause of the blast.
Meanwhile, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanw0-Olu, and Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun have condoled with the Makinde, the affected people and the entire people of Oyo State over the unfortunate incident.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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