As the investigations on the tragic incident that transpired on Tuesday, January 16, 2024 continues, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has revealed a significant detail. The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) Certificate of a mining company implicated in the explosions in the Bodija area of the state has unveiled foreign names as the proprietors.
Having personally visited the sites affected by the explosions on Tuesday, Governor Makinde provided an update on the grim aftermath. He disclosed that the death toll from the unfortunate blast had climbed to three, with an additional victim succumbing to injuries in a hospital as of Wednesday.
“We recovered one individual alive today (Wednesday) under the rubble. 60 of the 77 people hospitalised have been discharged.
“We are trying to uncover the identities of the people,” he stated.
“We have done a few fact-finding on the company involved.
‘And yes, there are indeed, some foreign names on the CAC documents of the company involved but these are still early days. We don’t have anything to cover,” he further explained.
Governor Seyi Makinde further disclosed that the Oyo State Government has successfully identified an individual deemed “an individual of interest” in connection with the incident. The governor emphasized the importance of this information, urging security agents to extend invitations for questioning to this particular individual. This development signifies a crucial step in the ongoing efforts to unravel the circumstances surrounding the deadly explosions in the Bodija area.
“It is not anything that has to do with banditry and insurgency but illegal miners that stored explosives in a residential area,” he said.
Governor Seyi Makinde reassured the public that the state government has no intention of engaging in a cover-up regarding the incident. He urged the people of the state to place their trust in his administration’s commitment to transparency and accountability.
Additionally, Governor Makinde announced his plans to seek presidential approval for a policy allowing miners to store explosives under the supervision of the military. In the coming days, he expressed his intention to sign an Executive Order to formalize this arrangement, enhancing the regulation and safety protocols surrounding the storage of explosives.
In addressing the immediate needs of those affected, the governor stated that individuals whose houses were destroyed in the explosions have been provided with temporary shelter. These affected residents are currently accommodated in hotels in both the Bodija and Agodi areas of the state capital, demonstrating the government’s effort to support and assist those impacted by the tragic incident.
