The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, has reiterated its determination to investigate the cause of last week’s explosion in Ibadan.
Last Tuesday, an explosion happened in the Adeyi district of Old Bodija, Ibadan, killing five people. A total of 77 residents were injured, and approximately 58 dwellings were damaged.
Seyi Makinde, the Governor of Oyo State, said early investigations suggested that the explosion was caused by explosives placed inside a house by some illegal miners.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, stated in a statement released on Sunday by his Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, that the Federal Government was dedicated to determining the true cause of the explosion in order to determine the next course of action.
“The Federal Government is now waiting for the outcome of forensic investigations that will determine the real cause of the blast, the explosives type that triggered it and the circumstances leading to the unfortunate incident that led to loss of lives and property.
“The ministry also deployed Mine Inspectorate officers to the scene of the explosion to join other security agencies to unravel the cause of the explosion.
“The honourable minister believes that in sensitive situations like this, the security agencies should be allowed to do their job, as against acting on speculations. That way, the people are better informed, culprits can be brought to book, and concerted efforts can be put in place to avoid a recurrence,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party in the South-West, on Sunday, hailed Governor Makinde’s swift response to the Ibadan incident, adding that the incident should be a wake-up call for citizens to be security conscious.
The PDP South-West Zonal Publicity Secretary, Sanya Atofarati, in a statement on Sunday, said, “We (PDP) have confidence in the capacity of Governor Makinde and the security authorities for a comprehensive investigation that would bring the perpetrators to book and as well prevent possible reoccurrence in the state.
“While we identify and sympathise with the victims at this critical moment of their lives, and pray for the repose of the lost souls, we also hope the public would see the incident as an eye-opener to be more security conscious and report any activity that is capable of causing a security breach.
“As a party, we commiserate with the good people of Oyo State over the deadly explosion that rocked the Bodija area of Ibadan, the capital city of the state on Tuesday where lives and properties were lost. It was unfortunate.”