In a startling revelation, Governor Seyi Makinde disclosed on Wednesday that the Corporate Affairs Commission,CAC, certificate of the mining company implicated in Tuesday’s explosion in the Bodija area of Oyo State displayed foreign names as owners.
The death toll from the tragic blast has now reached three, with one more victim succumbing to injuries today.
Governor Makinde, appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme, shared updates on the situation.
He reported, “We recovered one individual alive today (Wednesday) under the rubble.
60 of the 77 people hospitalised have been discharged.”
As investigations unfold, the governor acknowledged the presence of foreign names on the CAC documents related to the mining company.
He emphasized the need for transparency, stating, “We are trying to uncover the identities of the people. We’ve 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.”
Governor Makinde clarified that the incident was not linked to banditry or insurgency but attributed it to illegal miners storing explosives in a residential area.
Expressing the commitment of his administration, he assured, “The state government has no reason for cover-up. People should trust us.”
In response to the alarming event, Governor Makinde announced plans to seek presidential approval for miners to store explosives with the military. He also disclosed his intention to sign an executive order in the coming days to enforce this measure.
Addressing the aftermath of the explosion, the governor revealed that those whose houses were destroyed had been provided temporary shelter in hotels in Bodija and the Agodi areas of the state capital.
The explosion on Tuesday evening sent shockwaves through Ibadan, resulting in buildings collapsing and panic gripping the ancient city.
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Residents reported feeling the impact of the blast far from the scene, with houses and cars affected by the blast wave.
Governor Makinde, who visited the site, explained that preliminary investigations indicated that illegal miners were responsible for the explosion.
He pledged that investigations were ongoing, and those found culpable would face legal consequences.
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