The Yoruba socio-cultural group, Council of Yoruba Elders (CYE) has expressed shock over the Ibadan explosion that claimed lives and properties worth billions of naira.
The group who paid on-the-spot assessment visit to the site of the explosion at Bodija Housing Estate on Thursday charged Oyo state governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, to unravel the mystery behind the sad occurrence.
Speaking with journalists at the site of the explosion, the Secretary-General of the group, who led a delegation to the scene, Dr. Victor Taiwo, called on the south-West governors to strengthen security apparatus of their states.
Taiwo said: “It was on Tuesday, 16th January , 2024 around 7.00 pm that Ibadan city of Oyo State witnessed an unprecedented explosion that rocked the city like an earth tremor.The vibrating and devastating effects were felt in almost the entire radius of Ibadan from Bodija Estate where the explosion originated.
“We are here today for on-the-spot assessment to see for ourselves the series of wreckage caused by the explosion and this is so disastrous and horrible for our sights, some houses were flattened and a few others destroyed beyond repair. There were reports of casualties and fatal injuries sustained by a number of both residents and non-residents in the area as well.
“We the members of the Council of Yoruba Elders (CYE) across the world feeling very concerned about the unfortunate occurrence hereby commiserate with the families of the people who lost their lives to the explosion and we pray that God will give them the fortitude to bear the losses. We also wish those who sustained fatal injuries quick convalescence.
“We are using this medium to call the attention of Oyo State and all the South West Governors and security agencies to the need to brace up on the security of the lives and properties of the citizens being the primary duty of any responsible government. When insecurity abounds in an environment, it unequivocally suggests a neglect of responsibility and failure in governance.
“Every single life is more than a precious gold to us the Yoruba elders, such that we cannot afford to shy away from that horrible incident and allow a repeat of such under any guise. Oyo State has always been known for peace, so we wish this legacy will be sustained by this government.
“Though there are tens of questions to ask about the information we have gathered so far, we do not want to preempt the security experts whom we believe are up to the task of digging deep into the matter to exhume the real cause of the incident.
“We are also using this medium to appeal to Oyo State Governor, Engr. Oluseyi Makinde, the respected governor of the people to take interest in this matter and dig deep into it to a logical conclusion and ensure that people whose lives are affected are rebuilt and also to deploy every necessary government machinery into bringing the perpetrators of the heinous act to book.”
