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Survivor (Credit: Screenshot from Lagelu FM livestream)
A survivor of the explosion that occurred at Dejo Oyelese Street, Bodija, Ibadan, Oyo State on Tuesday night, who simply identified himself as Adeleke, said he lost his elder brother to the incident.
The PUNCH had earlier reported an explosion in parts of the state capital.
There were also videos online that showed dusty clouds and burning houses and cars.
The survivor, who spoke with a local broadcasting station, Lagelu FM, asserted that they were at the hotel in the area playing tennis before his brother sought to go out to attend to something before the explosion caused a stir that sent a sharp object that gave him a deep cut in his stomach.
Adeleke said, “He came out to the front of the transformer where the incident happened. His intestines were out after the cut.”
He identified his late brother as Oladipupo, noting that he was rushed to the Adeoyo General Hospital immediately after the incident.
Another survivor, Olaitan Okanlawon, said the incident happened around 7 pm after hearing a strange sound.
“I was inside with my husband and kids. And we started hearing strange sounds and vibrations, it was not clear until we began to see rubbles, outside the window.
“One of my kids has a cut on his head and is being attended to, we have moved out our stuff to the hotel,” she added.
Reacting to the incident, the state governor, Seyi Makinde, said preliminary investigations by security agencies revealed that explosive devices stored by illegal miners caused the explosion that rocked the area.
No fewer than 10 persons were feared killed, and 15 others hospitalised following the explosion that also affected a section of the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Oyo State House of Assembly, the residence of the former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige, some buildings at Ologuneru, Apete, New Garage, Bashorun, Akobo, Sango and Eleyele.
Makinde, who visited the scene of the explosion Tuesday night, said though further investigations were still ongoing, anyone found culpable would be brought to book.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday night, the Oyo State Police Command confirmed that there was an explosion in Dejo Oyelese Street in the Bodija area of Ibadan, the state capital.
The command, however, said the number of casualties in the incident is still unknown, adding that there has been ample deployment of their men to forestall any breakdown of law and order.
