Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 Families are still grappling to rebuild their lives after the tragic incident that claimed
00:12 five lives and left many injured on the fateful evening of January 16th, 2024.
00:22 The catastrophic explosion shook Ibadan at about 7.50pm on January 16th.
00:34 The cause has since been attributed to explosives stored at a private residence by illegal miners
00:40 at Adeyi Avenue, Bodija part of Ibadan, Oyo State.
00:46 The resounding blast echoed across the city, causing collapsed houses and damaging cars,
00:51 prompting panic amongst residents.
00:56 The explosion's impact extended as far as 15km from the blast site, creating a crater
01:02 of about 15ft deep and 20ft wide.
01:09 The blast severely damaged at least 58 buildings and over 10 cars.
01:16 The impact echoed through various neighbourhoods including Ele Ele, Ishokon, Mokola, Bodija,
01:24 Okeetunu, Akobo, Songo and parts of University College Hospital, UCH where shattered windows
01:31 bore witnesses to the blast.
01:33 As at the time of this report, the incident has claimed five lives, two on Tuesday, one
01:41 in a hospital on Wednesday and two bodies recovered under the rubble on Thursday.
01:51 Over 77 people were injured with 60 of the hospitalised individuals already discharged.
01:58 Despite ongoing search and rescue efforts, emergency services and security officials
02:03 utilised bulldozers to clear the debris at the blast site.
02:11 The Oyo State House of Assembly at its plenary disclosed the identity of the person allegedly
02:16 behind the explosion as Sawan Yusuf.
02:20 Sawan Yusuf is the president of the Oyo State chapter of Ekowa's members, Nigeria Miners
02:25 Association.
02:29 While the nationality of the alleged culprit remains unconfirmed, the Assembly called on
02:34 security agencies to intensify efforts at bringing all connected to the explosion to
02:39 book.
02:40 A former member of the House of Assembly, Muhyiddin Olalekon Olagunju, revealed that
02:45 Yusuf and three others, Dharam Ibrahima, Yatara Ibrahim and Bakary Yakem Oladimeji, registered
02:53 a company called SDYB International Company Limited with registration certificate 51184
03:00 with the Corporate Affairs Commission in 2004 to engage in mining activities in the state.
03:11 He also added that they've been involved in illegal mining activities, especially in
03:15 Iwerile, located in the Ouagiawa local government area of the state.
03:20 However, the suspect's whereabouts is still unknown since Tuesday.
03:26 Fatai Owosene, the special advisor on security matters to Governor Shei Makinde confirmed
03:31 the fatalities and ongoing recovery efforts.
03:35 Governor Makinde expressed determination to hold those responsible accountable.
03:41 He assured the public of government support, including covering of medical bills, providing
03:46 temporary accommodation and assisting affected individuals in rebuilding their lives.
03:55 Some of the victims have allegedly been moved to unnamed hotels in the meantime.
04:01 Mr. Dele Ayoleke, the president of Mining Association of Nigeria, condemned illegal
04:06 mining practices and the unsafe storage of hazardous materials in residential areas.
04:12 He highlighted the need for compliance with rules governing the procurement, handling
04:17 and storage of explosives, emphasizing that respectable mining firms have designated storage
04:23 facilities on their properties.
04:25 Ayoleke stressed the importance of obtaining permits and maintaining transparency in explosive
04:31 usage, advocating for adherence to government regulations in the mining industry.
04:37 As expected, urgent calls for all regulatory agencies to enforce safety precautions, especially
04:43 in handling and storing explosives, has rented space on social media.
04:49 Security agencies and society has been tasked to fish out those who are involved in such
04:54 businesses across the country.
04:57 For more of these, visit the Guardian website at www.guardian.ng.
05:02 I am Loy Sugunyi.
05:04 Bye for now.
05:05 [Music]