Ibadan Explosion: Illegal Miners Who Stored Explosives At Home Are Foreigners – Residents

A devastating explosion that occurred on Tuesday night in Adeyi Avenue, Bodija, Ibadan, Oyo State, has been attributed to the activities of illegal miners from Mali by the residents of the area. The blast claimed the lives of three people, injured over 80 others, and damaged several properties.

According to Naija News, a resident who gave his name as Apa told journalists on Wednesday that the Malians who lived in the area had brought explosives and dynamite from their mining sites and stored them in their houses. He said that the explosives must have been triggered by the temperature or humidity and caused the explosion.

Apa said that he and his neighbour had witnessed the Malians using the explosives for illegal mining in some parts of Oyo State. He said that there were no mining sites in the area and that the Malians had bought most of the houses from Nigerians. He appealed to the Federal Government to deport the illegal miners and prevent such incidents from happening again.

He narrated his ordeal, saying, “When I called my neighbour, she said, ‘You remember those Malians?’ There must be equipment they’re using for doing their mining work that must have exploded, and that equipment is not a cheap material. It’s something that’s very heavy.

“If the explosion had happened in Odogbo barracks, then one would say yes, they have all sorts of things there. That thing is not supposed to be kept in this type of environment. And wherever such equipment is kept, it must be under-regulated humidity. Maybe the temperature would have triggered it, and that’s my own suspicion.

“There is nothing like illegal mining here. It’s miners that live here that brought the equipment and they are Malians.”

The Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, visited the scene of the explosion and expressed his condolences to the victims and their families. He said that the state had deployed emergency services and security agencies to assist the affected people. He also said that the state would investigate the cause of the explosion and bring the culprits to book. He urged the residents to remain calm and cooperate with the authorities.