SaharaReporters earlier reported that Governor Makinde said that his preliminary investigation revealed that the explosion killed two people and so far injured 77 others.
Human rights activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2019 and 2023 general elections, Omoyele Sowore, has berated Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State for coming to conclusion that the deadly blast that occurred in Ibadan, the state capital on Tuesday night was caused by illegal miners.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that Governor Makinde said that his preliminary investigation revealed that the explosion killed two people and so far injured 77 others.
He had added that the incident was caused by explosives stored by illegal miners occupying a house in the Bodija area of the state capital.
But Sowore in a reaction on X platform (formerly Twitter) highlighted posers for Governor Makinde and security agencies in the state regarding the deadly blast, saying that “Even in developed countries, it takes nothing less than 48 hours before government agencies make a categorical statement about such a massive explosion.
He added, “These include cordoning off the area, obtaining evidence on the scene, and analyzing it before telling the public what exactly happened.”
Sowore said that in less than 10 hours, Governor Seyi Makinde already "investigated" the incident and submitted it was “Illegal Miners.”
He questioned “Who are the illegal miners? What do they mine, and why are they in possession of such powerful explosives?
“Is there any explosives dealer known to security agencies in a high-brow neighborhood in Ibadan that the govt had long been aware of and did nothing about?
“Again, who is that miner? What is the miner's name, and what do they mine in Oyo state? Is it gold, silver, cobalt, uranium, or what? A release should be done immediately to reveal the identity of the miner!”
According to Sowore, “Mining and using explosives has a procedure and rarely explodes without a trigger, especially dynamite. You have to ignite it automatedly or use fire. Was the building rigged with explosives? If so, why so?
“Is the governor or the Oyo state government aware of mining in Agodi residential area? Is the governor aware of it, or is his or the state carrying out rock blasting in a residential area?
“The DSS (Department of State Services) is saddled with approving the use of explosives around Nigeria. What is their public position on what happened? At least citizens need a preliminary report from the DSS on this matter immediately.”
https://twitter.com/yelesowore