What led to an Ibadan explosion that turned neighbourhoods into a war zone late Tuesday?
City residents have been told to remain calm and seek assistance from relief services by calling their toll-free phone line.
Approaching the late evening on Tuesday, 16 January 2024, a trio of teenagers in Ibadan the Oyo State capital were busy making a video recording to later upload on TikTok when suddenly a loud bang interrupted a room-setting scene they were in, forcing them to take cover.
It was just about 7:44 p.m. when the incident occurred and they were not the only ones affected by the event, which occurred in the upscale Bodija community.
According to the Governor of Oyo State, Mr Seyi Makinde who has carried out a first-person assessment when he visited the area, the cause of the explosion was the result of unsanctioned mining activities.
ALSO READ: Rivers governor brisks past water bombs and tear gas spray while his state gets really hot!
Investigations are still ongoing but early findings point to the storage of explosives by yet-to-be-identified culprits within a residential community. There will be consequences for those involved but now is the time to provide badly needed support to the victims.
“Between the devastation and here; and from what we have gathered so far, the likelihood is that you have illegal miners toiling with explosives around this place. We have always said to people that when you see something, say something and then the authorities should be able to do something.
“This is quite unfortunate. At this stage is just to rescue anyone [who] is still under the rubble here and also the people that have been taken to the hospital – to give them care. Also, some of the people who have had their houses destroyed, provide temporary accommodation for them at hotels within the city. And then in the morning, we will continue the investigation.”
We visited the scene of the explosion which occurred at about 7.44 pm yesterday, 16 January 2024 in Bodija, Ibadan. This unfortunate incident resulted in death and injury to residents in the vicinity and also affected properties. We have already deployed first responders and all… pic.twitter.com/fDb3EKo55h
— Seyi Makinde (@seyiamakinde) January 17, 2024
Efforts to ameliorate the situation went on throughout the evening of the incident and likewise early morning the following day.
Although Governor Makinde in his tweet only confirmed two fatalities due to the explosion, wider media reports have submitted a figure amounting to up to 10 people who died. There were “Earthmoving equipment, ambulances, emergency lights, and security” deployed to the scene says the governor in a tweet posted via his X profile on Tuesday.
Ibadan residents have been told to remain calm and seek assistance from relief services by calling their toll-free phone line. Eyewitness accounts remember extremely devastating visuals of buildings that were completely crushed while the occupants were trapped.
Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.
