Ibadan explosion: Sowore raises questions concerning Governor Makinde’s claim about illegal miners

The presidential aspirant wondered how the conclusion was made less than 10 hours of investigation.

The 2023 Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore has raised questions concerning the explosion that rocked the Bodija area of Ibadan on Tuesday.

According to the National Emergency Maintenance Agency (NEMA), the explosion which occured in the night of Tuesday, destroyed 20 houses. Two people have also been confirmed dead, while 17 people sustained injuries as a result of the blast.

While rescue mission by relevant government agencies are still ongoing, videos shared on Twitter have shown the damages caused to properties in different areas where the effects of the blast was felt.

During his visit to the scene, Governor Seyi Makinde accessed the situation and stated that the explosion was caused by explosive devices kept in a house by illegal miners.

Sowore, however, has faulted the governor’s assessment of the incident, implying that the situation has not been adequately assessed.

According to him, it would take at least 48 hours in developed countries before government agencies could make a statement about an incident of such magnitude.

He said, “Even in developed countries, it takes nothing less than 48 hours before government agencies make a categorical statement about such a massive explosion.These include cordoning off the area, obtaining evidence on the scene, and analyzing it before telling the public what exactly happened.”

Sowore wondered how the conclusion that the blast occured due to storage of explosive by illegal miners was reached in less than 10 hours of investigation.

He asked “In less than 10 hours, Governor @seyimakinde already “investigated” the incident and submitted it was “Illegal Miners.” Who are the illegal miners? What do they mine, and why are they in possession of such powerful explosives?

“Is there any explosives dealer known to security agencies in a high-brow neighborhood in Ibadan that the govt had long been aware of and did nothing about?

“Again, who is that miner? What is the miner’s name, and what do they mine in Oyo state? Is it gold, silver, cobalt, uranium, or what? A release should be done immediately to reveal the identity of the miner.”

The radical politician went further to state that the use of explosives should have a procedure, adding that these explosives rarely explode without a trigger.

He also called on the Department of State Security (DSS) to provide adequate explanations on the incident since it is their duty to approve the use of explosives in the country.