Ibadan explosion: Over 90% of victims discharged from hospitals, says Makinde

Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo, says over 90 percent of the victims of the explosion at the Bodija axis of Ibadan, the state capital, have been discharged from hospitals. 

On the night of January 16, an explosion rocked Dejo Oyelese Street, Bodija axis of Ibadan, in which five persons have been confirmed dead, with 77 people said to be injured in the blast.

Giving an update of  the incident, on Sunday, Makinde said operations on the ground of the blast have moved to the recovery stage, adding that structural integrity tests are being carried out on about 230 properties around the site of the explosion.

 “Yesterday, the medical team at the Emergency Operations Centre and the Honourable Commissioner for Health, visited two of the hospitals where victims from the incident were taken and over 90% of the victims have been discharged,” Makinde wrote on X.

“The death toll from the incident currently stands at five persons. The operations at Ground Zero have moved from search and rescue to recovery. Let me use this opportunity to thank the Nigerian Society of Engineers who have been carrying out structural integrity tests on about 230 properties around the site of the explosion; 13 houses within 50 metres radius of the blast site, 40 houses at 100 metre radius; 122 houses at 200 metres radius and 53 houses within a 250 metres radius. 

“We are also grateful to my brother, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for releasing the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) to support us, and for the assistance offered by the team led by Engineer Olatunde Akinsanya, the Director of Operations.”

Meanwhile, Segun Tomori, the media aide to Dele Alake, the minister of solid minerals development, said the federal government is waiting for the outcome of the forensic investigation conducted to know the “actual cause of the tragic incident.”

“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 properties,” the statement reads.

“Last week Wednesday during the Federal Executive Council meeting, President Bola Tinubu took a step to holistically address insecurity around our nation’s natural resources by constituting an inter-ministerial committee led by Dr. Alake to come up with a blueprint to effectively and efficiently secure solid minerals, forests, and marine economy, which constitutes Nigeria’s natural resources.

“In the coming days, there will be an expanded meeting with heads of security agencies, which will assist the committee in getting the requisite inputs that will guide it in turning in a robust report to the president.”