Explosion rocks Kogi community amid Buhari’s visit

An explosion rocked a community in Okene LGA of Kogi state on Thursday morning.

The incident was said to have occurred at a mosque near the palace of Ado Ibrahim, the paramount ruler of Ebiraland.

President Muhammadu Buhari is currently in the area to inaugurate projects completed by the state government.

William Aya, police spokesperson in Kogi, did not respond to calls and text messages to comment on the development.

Several locals informed TheCable that they heard the sound of the explosion.

“I was in my shop when I heard a loud sound from around the front of the new mosque built by Adogu,” a trader at a market in the Ohu Variki area said.

“The sound was not that much, like the sound of a trailer’s burst tire, but the vibration was enormous that it shook my shop and I ran out. A number of other people came out also and we walked out to see what happened. We strolled through Karaoro down but soldiers did not allow us to pass through.”

Kingsley Fanwo, Kogi commissioner for information, however, said it was a “mere transformer spark which injured one person”.

“Contrary to the blatant lie that there was a bomb explosion that killed three people in Okene, I wish to debunk the falsehood here,” Fanwo wrote in now-deleted tweets.

“It was a mere transformer spark which injured one person. Mr. President is currently enjoying the hospitality of our people right there at Okene where he is commissioning life-touching projects, executed by Governor Yahaya Bello.

“Our people should ignore the rumour and savour the presence of our dear President. We are Kogi people. We are hospitable.”

The north-central state had also witnessed cases of explosions in the past few months.