The National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) has said no fewer than 58 houses have been confirmed affected by Tuesday’s explosion at Dejo Oyelese Street, Adeyi Avenue, Old Bodija in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital..
The Director-General (DG) of NEMA, Mustapha Ahmed, made the disclosure, on Wednesday, when he paid an assessment visit to the scene of the incident.
He said: “About 58 houses are damaged, about three lives have been lost, we currently don’t know the number of people that are in hospital. We are working hand in hand with the state government to ascertain the whole situation. This is the EOC center, so reports are still coming in and people are still on site working, but most importantly we cannot condone people going in there, it’s not acceptable.
“You do not talk about what you intend to do without having the report of what the assessment is. We need to verify and ascertain what exactly has happened, the magnitude and the extent. Definitely NEMA will intervene, the Federal Government will come in. That is why we are here, we are awake, nobody has slept,” Ahmed disclosed.
He noted that President Bola Tinubu as well as officials of the Authority have lost sleep since the report of the incident, saying until the assessment, and search and rescue efforts are completed, no one would be able to ascertain the actual number of those who were injured, and that NEMA would do the needful immediately all casualties and extent of damage have been fully ascertained.
The DG said: “Search and rescue is still ongoing, this is something that occurred last night and as we speak we are still on ground zero. That is why that place needs to be evacuated so that people don’t step on other people, because search and rescue has not been concluded.”
Expressing dismay at how individuals could have stored up such explosive devices in residential areas, the DG wondered why no one could have noticed or sighted anything suspicious until the incident.
He noted: “We have seen documents, personal belongings of the people there for now, we don’t know what exactly is there. The most disturbing thing is that these particular people with the explosives have been there for a very long period of time and how come people have been keeping that quantum of explosives over ten years and nobody has seen anything?”
“Regulatory bodies must all sit up, where we have people keeping piles of explosive in a residential area is not acceptable. Disaster management is everybody’s business, if you see something, say something. The regulatory bodies must ensure that nothing like this happens again,” the NEMA DG affirmed.
Meanwhile, the Oyo State Government has identified the company responsible for the Ibadan explosion
Governor Seyi Makinde who gave an update on the situation during a press briefing attended by members of Emergency Medical Team set up by the state government, assured residents that all those who may be directly or indirectly involved in the incident would be brought to book.
“ I stated in a brief remark early this morning that preliminary investigations traced the incident to the storage of explosions by illegal miners at a house in Bodija. The important update we can provide at this time is that we have information regarding the company that was using that residence to store explosives. Rest assured that all that were involved directly and indirectly in bringing this tragedy upon us shall be brought to book.”
Makinde noted that the fatalities at the scene of the explosion had risen to three, but that the number of those who sustained various degrees of injuries is still put at 77, pleading with residents within 250metres of the scene of the incident to stay away from their property and move to accommodation provided by the government until the government conducts integrity test on the buildings within the radius.
“I will like to appeal to our people to remain calm as we do everything possible to provide succor to everyone affected. There are the security agencies to deal decisively with anyone caught in such act. They have been placed on high alert to ensure that there’s no breakdown of law and order at the place,” the governor warned.
Makinde assured that a regular update regarding the actions of government would continue to be provided through all information channels including the Emergency Operation Center and various reach out channels on and off social media, while urging people to refrain from spreading fake news, misinformation and disinformation that can potentially cause panic within the populace.
For his part, the Head of the Emergency Operations, Prof. Temitope Alonge, said an emergency response to the incident was to set up a team of about 40 doctors, 40 nurses and 25 medical students at the University College Hospital, Ibadan.
Alonge noted that victims that were injured were receiving medical attention in private and government hospitals and that most of them were in stable condition.
He said: “Apart from doctors and nurses, we have added to our team physiotherapists, clinical psychologists and they were on the ground yesterday to assess the psychological state of the survivors of this unfortunate incident.”
Speaking on the security angle, the Special Adviser on Security to the governor, Fatai Owoseni, disclosed that the area of the incident had been secured to ensure that hoodlums do not perpetrate crimes as a result of the explosion.
Owoseni, however, corrected misgivings and misinformation on the incident, disclosing that such information as Boko Haram elements invading Oyo State, a helicopter flying over the place and dropping a bomb, and construction sites around the place had used dynamite, among other misinformation being passed around, are all incorrect.
“We, from the security angle, can say that the preliminary evidence is indicative that for some time, people must have been storing explosives in that area, and it is not just fresh. It must have been something that had accumulated for some time. His Excellency has always said if you see something, you must say something,” Owoseni explained
Monarch Commiserates With Victims
The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun, has visited the scene of the Bodija, Ibadan explosion, which happenedon Tuesday night, where he expressed grief over the dastardly incident and prayed for the repose of the souls of the deceased.
The Otun Balogun of Ibadanland, Oba Tajudeen Ajibola, who paid the visit on behalf of His Imperial Majesty, commiserated with the bereaved, prayed for the injured as well as those who lost valuables in the devastating explosion.
Accompanied by other Ibadan obas and chiefs, Oba Ajibola, after leaving the Bodija scene of the incident went to the University College Hospital (UCH) to pray for the injured admitted there and examine the damages done to some sections of the hospital.
The Olubadan team also visited the homes of Ashipa Balogun, Oba Kolawole Adegbola, that of former Deputy Governor of the state, Chief Iyiola Oladokun, as well as that of the former Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Sen. Hosea Ayoola Agboola, who all suffered from the explosion.
In all the places visited, Oba Ajibola delivered the Olubadan’s message of commiseration and identification with them at this trying moment with a prayer that there won’t be a reoccurrence of such disturbing incident.
Similarly, the Olubadan has also sent royal commendations to the governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, over his prompt response and action on the explosion.
Oba Balogun, who in a statement by his Personal Assistant (Media), Oladele Ogunsola, described the incident as unfortunate and devastating, remarked that the way and manner the governor responded and with his prompt briefing of the people not only doused the tension created by the incident, but gave a sense of reassurance.
He said: “I was following the governor’s every step and I’m very impressed with his approach, prompt action, meticulous steps and quick intervention on the medical needs of the injured. The governor really proved himself a truly people’s governor.”
The monarch commiserated with the deceaseds’ families with a prayer that the Almighty God would comfort them and grant the departed peaceful repose of their souls, while also wishing the injured quick recovery and urged the people to remain calm and obey safety precautions’ directive as may be given by the security agents.
Oba Balogun also saluted the security agents, led by the state Commissioner of Police, for their professional handling of the situation, commitment, dedication, and sacrifice and prayed that they would not labour in vain, just as he implored them not to rest on their oars, but to remain steadfast and proactive to nip in bud any form of threat to the security and peaceful living of the people.
In the meantime, the monarch called for vigilance on the part of the people stressing that from the available preliminary investigation report, the explosion was preventable if people had been conscious and inquisitive about the activities of the people they live around with.
“A stich in time, saves nine as an adage says. If we put on I don’t care cap about those we live around with, when the consequences of their lifestyle, if it is antisocial, manifest, nobody is immune and that’s the result we are now contending with.
“As landlords or agents, who are those tenants we rent our houses to? How much of them do we know? What do they do for a living? We should not be contented with just regular payment of rents or ability to pay humongous amount of money. Infact, any tenant that ordinarily offers to pay far beyond the common and prevailing rent in an area should be on the watch list, if not denied the accommodation,” the Olubadan stated.
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