Governor Makinde, who was represented by the Deputy Governor who also doubles as the chairman of the relief fund committee, Barr. Abdulraheem Bayo Lawal, said the event that led to the setting up of the committee was sad and avoidable.

He noted that the state government responded to the explosion by putting in place several measures, including emergency services and post-explosion support services.

He added that the state had to dig deep into the root cause of the explosion, admonishing residents of the state to continue to be security-conscious and alert.

The governor assured that the committee’s report would be implemented so as to support victims of the explosion and bring some sort of relief to them.

He said: “Immediately the explosion happened at Deji Oyelese Close, Bodija, the Oyo State Government moved in to mitigate the level of damage.

“It also became important for the state government to dig into the root cause of the explosion, which was an unusual incident, particularly in the area where it occurred.

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“No one knew that such monumental damage could occur around that high-brow area of Oyo State in Bodija. Nevertheless, we keep learning every day. This is why we must not take for granted the issue of security around us.

“The government put this committee in place of which I am the Chairman. Let me say clearly that my Principal agreed that I must receive this report and that the government will act on the report.

“So, on behalf of His Excellency, I want to assure that this report would be looked into quickly and the recommendations therein would be implemented.

“We know that we do not have the luxury of further delay in implementation. We will put in all the efforts that will be required for quick implementation, so that victims of the explosion would be assuaged and assisted without further delay.

“I have to thank the committee members for giving their time. The Oyo State Government really appreciates you for the yeoman’s job.”

Speaking earlier, CP Fatai Owoseni (rtd), a member of the committee, who stood in for the chairman to present the committee’s report, said the report was in four volumes.

He said: “I stand here on behalf of the chairman of this committee to present the report on the disbursement and management of Bodija Explosion Relief Fund.

“It would be recalled that His Excellency inaugurated this committee on the 24th of December, 2024. And as the name implies, the committee came up with recommendations on the disbursement and management of the Bodija Explosion Relief Fund.

“Your Excellency, the committee, in its deliberations, factored its work on the report prepared by the trilateral meeting of Dejo Oyelese Vigilance Group (DOVG), Bodija Estate Residents Association (BERA) and other experts.

“The report that is being presented to Your Excellency this morning by the committee has four volumes. Volume 1, which is the main report, is divided into eight chapters and these represent the deliberations and recommendations of the committee.

“Volume 2 of the report represents the trilateral meeting of the DOVG, BERA and the Nigerian Society of Engineers on the framework for the distribution of government financial support pledged to the affected persons.

“Volume 3 is a reflection of the breakdown of money apportioned to support respective affected persons while Volume 4 of the report is a detailed pictorial representation and description of damages recorded during the explosion.

“The committee would like to express its gratitude to Your Excellency for the opportunity and the confidence reposed in members.

“I believe that this report would, aside from being beneficial to affected persons, also serve as a proper guide to government in the disbursement of the support that has been pledged by His Excellency.”

Also speaking, the president of Bodija Estate Residents Association, Pastor Muyiwa Bamgbose, said the committee proposed support for different categories of victims, including those who lost loved ones, buildings, vehicles and other valuables.

He added that the relief fund was a support and not compensation, noting, however, that if the recommendations of the committee were implemented, they would go a long way in assisting the victims.

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The association’s president, Pastor Muyiwa Bamgbose, placed the demand during the Bodija Estate Explosion Remembrance Service held on Thursday in Ibadan to commemorate the incident.

The remembrance service was organised by BERA in conjunction with the Dejo Oyelese Vigilante Group, DOVG.

Bamgbose said they wanted those who caused the problem to be prosecuted and that there should be transparency and accountability so that people could have closure.

“They will have the assurance that those who caused the problem have been punished and there would likely be people who will not do that kind of thing again,” he said.

Recounting some of the victims’ ordeals, he said some of them still had nowhere to stay while others had been staying with relatives.

“Some still look at where their houses used to be in hopelessly. We hope the support that the government is sending would be expedited and arrive very quickly so that hope that is delayed will not make the heart grow sick,” Bamgbose said.

He called on the community for more solidarity, adding that he was impressed with the turnout at the remembrance service.

He further said efforts were underway to boost security in the area through the Know-Your-Neighbours adopted policy.

In his address, the chairman of DOVG, Chief Iyiola Oladokun, said the event was to honour the memories of those who lost their lives and sympathise with their families and friends who continued to grieve.

He appreciated the first responders, security agencies, the state government as well as volunteers who risked their lives to save others.

“Your selflessness and dedication are a beacon of hope,” Oladokun said.

He, however, urged residents to work together to rebuild and strengthen the community.

“We must remain vigilant and proactive in ensuring the safety and security of our neighbourhood.

“Let us learn from this tragedy and take steps to prevent such incidents in the future,” Oladokun said.

Also, the Executive Assistant to the Oyo State Governor, Rev. Idowu Ogedengbe, said the government had set up a committee to support victims of the explosion.

He stressed the commitment of the state government to ensure the security of lives and forestall future occurrences.

Ogedengbe denied that the government had been shielding the perpetrators of the incident, adding that their prosecution had commenced.

He, however, declined to speak on details of the prosecution.

Meanwhile, some of the survivors of the blast, who narrated their experiences after one year, said the effects had been unimaginable.

One of them, Mr Muhammad Denise, said his eardrum, which was damaged by the sound from the blast, was yet to recover.

“We are alive, we thank God but it has not been easy.

“Things can be better, but we are still healing gradually; we are yet to get there, but we pray we will get there soon.

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“It has been a series of promises all through. We are not satisfied with the way things are.

“I am still nursing wounds; some of us our eardrums were perforated.

“We have gone, and are still going through a series of medical care. It is healing gradually as we have been told it will take time,” Denise said.

Another victim, Mr Muyiwa Ige, lamented what he described as weak intervention from the government.

He said victims who were accommodated in the hotels were kicked out within 30 to 45 days after the incident in a very undignified manner.

Ige alleged there had been no information about the arrest and trial of those involved in the incident.

“The tenant who rented the place is at large -God will help us in this community and country,” he said.

Another victim, Mr Taiwo Salami, also called for the expedition of actions to bring succour to victims.

Pictures and names of five persons who died from the explosion were on the programme of the event, with their families and loved ones prayed for.

The community is also set to hold a candlelight procession in honour of the deceased.

Source: NAN

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“I think it is now more towards eight and nine persons now, or even 10, whom those in the neighbourhood have talked about,” the association’s president, Mr Muyiwa Bamgbose, said after their consultative meeting.

“We took the map of the street to them (government) and tried to account for (people) house by house to get accurate information.

“If the person was seen yesterday and was not seen today or you can’t find him again, then you need to get worried. But I believe it’s nearer 10 now,” he added.

BERA, an umbrella body of all communities in Bodija, also called for massive assistance for victims of the explosion to get back their lives.

It pointed out the need for continuous care and support for victims whose lives had changed unexpectedly since the incident.

The president said there were a lot of people who paid for their medical bills out of pocket and did not go to the designated hospitals.

“I must also confess that some hospitals, like Redeemers Clinic, were treating victims free of charge without keeping records.

“The hospitals contributed by treating people without asking for money, and some people who could afford it took themselves to their private hospitals,” Bamgbose said.

He, however, lamented improper organisation for victims in accessing hotel accommodation the government said it provided.

“Our fear is that government may end up being shortchanged. Yes, it was a chaotic situation but there should been some kind of order.

“Yes, this is the first in Ibadan and I must commend the government’s willingness and response. But there is a difference between being willing and then having the ability.

“People have worked overnight without sleeping. Even the federal government has taken the issue serious as all its security apparatus were deployed.

“Then, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has been working with its Oyo State counterpart. Everybody has collaborated but our best is still short of the word best,” Bamgbose said.

While commending the efforts of the Federal and Oyo State Governments, Bamgbose noted the need to learn from the explosion to better prepare for emergency operations.

“The response to the incident, though quick, was uncoordinated. This is what led to the various lapses still being experienced by victims,” he said.

He underscored the need to learn from the experience and improve on the gaps.

“This is necessary so as to improve on how to respond to emergencies which could come in any form — flood, fire outbreak and so on — and improve on best practices.”

The BERA president also disclosed that the Bodija community was from all records yet to find anyone who resided in the house where the explosion occurred.

“And that is another area of deficiency and we have taken it upon ourselves as from this meeting to know our neighbours.

“Not just to know who is living in the house but the owner as well, and what the occupants do for a living and really know ourselves,” he said.

Bamgbose decried the lack of demographic records as a problem, adding that it might be difficult to trace it even from the records of the State Housing Corporation.

“People have talked about some people running out of the house when the thing started, but now nobody knows whether they were caught up in the blast or disappeared under the radar.

“Nobody has good record,” he said.

Source: NAN

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Who dunnit? Governor Seyi Makinde has said the explosion was the handiwork of illegal miners who stored explosives in a strictly residential area. Some independent assessors or observers disagree, saying the impact the explosion created was beyond the capacity of explosives but that it was an outright act of terrorism. Well, until the contrary is proved, I go with Gov. Makinde’s explanation.

We have heard that powerful political leaders and traditional rulers are behind illegal mining activities not only in the South-west but all over the country, with attendant dire consequences for the security and well-being of the regions concerned and their long-suffering people.

This, then, brings up the question of illegal miners in Oyo State in general. In this column on Sunday, 18 April, 2021, I drew the attention of Gov. Makinde to the activities of illegal miners in the state, with the title “Is Makinde aware of this?” Published on page 22 of that day’s edition of the Sunday Tribune, it obviously caught the attention of the government as a result of which a Special Adviser to the governor called me afterwards to say their government was aware of the activities of the illegal miners and that something was being done.

I reproduce that piece here in part: “The write-up you are about to read was forwarded to me by a friend who now lives in the United States of America. We had been comrades at the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile-Ife. Interestingly, the write-up is an investigative report by the Abuja-based Daily Trust newspaper and their object of interest – Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State. It reads: Strabag Precious Stone International market in Ibadan is a silent gold mine for many billionaires across West Africa; yet, (the Nigerian) government is being short-changed as they (the billionaires across West Africa) fail to pay royalties while the market (itself) remains an eyesore. If you are visiting Strabag precious stone international market, Ojoo, Ibadan, Oyo State for the first time, you will not believe that billions of Naira is being exported out of the community monthly.

From the narrow entrance to the market, which is dominated by foreigners from other West African countries, everywhere looks unkempt and dirty with dilapidated structures. Owners of some of the buildings have vacated them but still receive monthly rents of between N1,500 and N2,000 from the tenants.

Located within the yard of the defunct Strabag construction company, the company which constructed the Lagos-Ibadan expressway in the 70s, the market occupies about 250 houses and has only 10 percent of Nigerians earning their daily income in the market while 90 percent foreigners operate in the market. Every Thursday, precious stones worth N500m are moved out of Ibadan to countries like Thailand, China, the United States of America, Hong Kong and other developed countries of the world by some powerful billionaires from West African countries.

Our correspondent who went round the market disguised as a customer revealed that stones like tourmaline, Beryl, morganite and granite are exported through NAHCO airport, Ikeja while buyers launder money through the land borders so that the government cannot determine the amount spent on transactions. Daily Trust Saturday gathered that officials of the Ministry of Mines and Steel both at the federal and state levels, the Nigeria Immigration Service, and Customs at airports are also culprits as they are allegedly being bribed to keep mute.

Our correspondent gathered that most of the precious stone merchants who are foreigners live in the most sophisticated estates in Ibadan, Lagos, Abuja and other big cities in Nigeria. Some of the merchants have been in the business in Ibadan for over 40 years because of the stability of precious stones deposited in the Oke-Ogun area of the state while their agents hunt for precious stones in the 36 states of the country, said a source who spoke to our correspondent in confidence. The gimmicks employed by the foreign businessmen include wooing village leaders with construction of roads leading to their villages and building of schools for their children.

It appears Section 94, Chapter 3 of the Mining Act 2007 (as amended) which states that ‘No person shall purchase any mineral unless he holds a licence to purchase minerals issued under this Act’ does not apply to the foreigners as many of them dare Nigerians in the market. A Nigerian source in the market told Daily Trust Saturday: ‘Government is aware we are here. Government raided us in this market some time ago but the foreigners were released after the intervention of their big men. Many petitions have emanated from here but were swept under the carpet. With this business, the Nigerian government needs little money from the oil sector if they are serious. What we are experiencing here can only happen in Nigeria and no other country in the world. How will you take precious stones out of a country without paying royalty?’

Precious stones, which are determined by their colour and texture, are in large deposits in every state in Nigeria, especially in the Oke-ogun area of Oyo State where mining camps are numerous. Our correspondent further gathered that other states in Nigeria have alluvial precious stones while Oyo State is blessed with pecmitine (vein), which is exported from the state without the state getting anything in return.

Another source in the market told our correspondent that the foreigners control the market by determining how much they buy gemstones in Nigeria and how much it is sold in the country. Ibadan is the centre of gemstones in Nigeria, the centre of marketing and the centre of exploitation…

Government has no idea what is going on. There are industrial stones which they export and refine but the gem stones are the ones they cut and use in making jewelry. We have the best stones in the world. Talk about tourmaline, sapphire, emerald and other gemstones; we have the best.  The international market prefers our stones to those of other countries.

The foreigners – Malians, Burkinabes, Guineans, Gambians, Senegalese – determine the market: How much they buy and how much they sell. If you talk, they tell you ‘This is Nigeria’! They are also members of ECOWAS and if you take them to any station, they always have their way. We want to know who is protecting the government’s interest here. How do they pay royalties and to who?

Petitions have emanated from here but the (authorities) didn’t act on them because people who are supposed to act are also benefiting from the illegality. We are not against international trading but due process must be followed. There was a time we brought up an issue here but before we knew it, some ambassadors called the Nigerian government officials saying that their men were doing their business here in Nigeria and we should not disturb them because we are all members of ECOWAS.

Meanwhile, you cannot try that in their country! There is no country in the world where such a thing can be done except in Nigeria! You live in a country, go to their mining camp, and exploit it without paying royalties to anyone? Never! It is either they buy it from the site and take it directly to the airport or they take it from here to the airport without notifying the government and our government does not care… Here, we sell (gems) per gram while, over there, they sell per character. When you sell one gram for $5, they sell a character for $500. Meanwhile, one gram contains five characters.

As at the time of going to press, the chief press secretary to the governor, Taiwo Adisa, neither picked calls nor responded to text messages for us to know the efforts of the government in addressing the abnormalities.”

That was almost three years ago! Was this article brought to Gov. Makinde’s attention? Did the Special Adviser bring it to his attention? What was it that was being done by the government as the Special Adviser told me, and how far did they go with it? Illegal mining is rampant all over Oyo state; it is not limited only to Ibadan. Illegal miners also reside all over the place in Oyo State and not only in the Bodija area of Ibadan. So, the disaster that struck Ibadan last Tuesday must be prevented from striking other parts of the state.

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Malian illegal miners were some of the illegal miners mentioned in this piece that I wrote about three years ago. Malian illegal miners have also been fingered in the Ibadan explosion. Can we then say we did not know or that we were not forewarned?

It is not only in Oyo State that illegal mining strives; we are familiar with the fact that in many parts of the North, illegal mining is the in-thing. Crude oil theft and illegal refineries signpost the South-South. One of the major causes of insurgency and insecurity in the North is said to be the activities of illegal miners. That dangerous trend has spread to the South-west. In many South-west states today, we have the activities of illegal miners – Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, name it! And wherever we have illegal mining, insecurity and insurgency take roots.

The Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, was damning when he spoke before the House of Representatives committee on solid minerals while defending his ministry’s 2024 budget. He said: “One pernicious discovery we have made is that a lot of these banditry, terrorism and insecurity… are actually sponsored by illegal miners. These are not your artisanal miners. They are not people who pick gold on the ground. These are heavy and powerful individuals in our country. And they are Nigerians. They are not foreigners. Yes, you can see foreigners as symptoms but they are not the disease. Nigerians are the powers behind those foreigners that you see on the streets…”

Why should leaders be more interested in feeding their greed than leverage on the abundant resources in their locality to give their people BETTER LIFE? If the South-west is not to become another Zamfara, the time to act is now!

The vile dictator, Gen. Sani Abacha, said: “Any insurrection that lasts more than 24 hours, a government official has a hand in it” Tell me, for how many years have we suffered insurrection, insurgency, banditry and terrorism in this country, with government after government appearing helpless?

We have heard that powerful political leaders and traditional rulers are behind illegal mining activities not only in the South-west but all over the country, with attendant dire consequences for the security and well-being of the regions concerned and their long-suffering people. Why should leaders be more interested in feeding their greed than leverage on the abundant resources in their locality to give their people BETTER LIFE? If the South-west is not to become another Zamfara, the time to act is now!

*Bolawole (turnpot@gmail.com / 0807 552 5533), former Editor of PUNCH newspapers, Chairman of its Editorial Board and Deputy Editor-in-chief, was also the Managing Director/ Editor-in-chief of THE WESTERNER newsmagazine. He writes the ON THE LORD’S DAY column in the Sunday Tribune and TREASURES column in New Telegraph newspaper on Wednesdays. He is also a public affairs analyst on radio and television.

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The governor made the declaration while speaking with journalists after a visit to the site of the incident.

His words: “Preliminary investigations by the security agencies revealed that illegal miners occupying one of the houses in Bodija had stored explosive devices there which caused the blast.”

The governor who said investigations were still going on gave the assurance that those that might be found to be behind the explosion would be brought to book.

The stored explosives, it was gathered, were used by the illegal miners to blast rocks in the course of their operations.

Said governor Makinde: “We visited the scene of the explosion which occurred at about 7.44 pm yesterday, 16 January 2024 in Bodija, Ibadan.

“This unfortunate incident resulted in death and injury to residents in the vicinity and also affected properties.

“We have already deployed first responders and all relevant agencies within Oyo State to carry out comprehensive search and rescue operations.

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“These operations will continue throughout the night.

“Earth moving equipment, ambulances, emergency lights, and security were deployed to the scene of the incident.

“The wounded and injured are being treated and moved to public and private hospitals within Ibadan.

“Medical personnel are on standby at these hospitals to provide all needed assistance to the injured.

“We have visited UCH to see some of those injured during the incident.

“In total, we have 77 injured victims so far, most of whom were treated and discharged and two fatalities.

“May their souls rest in peace and may God give their loved ones the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.

“I have directed that the medical bills of all victims be covered by the government.

“We will also be providing temporary accommodation for those whose houses were affected and ensuring that they are supported to rebuild their lives.

“Preliminary investigations by the security agencies revealed that illegal miners occupying one of the houses in Bodija had stored explosive devices there which caused the blast. The investigations are ongoing.

“All those found culpable for this will be brought to book.

“I urge all residents to please call 615 for any emergencies they may be experiencing at this time and to remain calm and stay away from the immediate scene of the incident to allow rescue operations to be carried out without interference.

“We are grateful to the first responders, security personnel and all those who are at the scene to assist with the rescue operations as well as the medical personnel taking care of the injured.

“Please say a prayer for those who have been affected by this disaster as we continue with the rescue operations.”

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