SaharaReporters gathered that a Malian national identified as Sawane Youssouf is the team leader for a mining operation in the Oke-Ogun Area of Oyo State.
New details have emerged on the Malian immigrants responsible for the explosion that rocked Ibadan, the Oyo State capital on Tuesday night.
SaharaReporters gathered that a Malian national identified as Sawane Youssouf is the team leader for a mining operation in the Oke-Ogun Area of Oyo State.
A document obtained by SaharaReporters from the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) revealed that Sawane Youssouf incorporated a mining company known as SDYB International Company Nigeria Limited with RC 511184.
The company was incorporated on May 17, 2004, as a private limited liability company with its registered address at NW6/96, Akintola Street, Ibadan, Oyo State.
The company's status, according to the CAC document, says it is inactive.
Further investigation by SaharaReporters revealed that the company was not among those listed by the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steal Development to have valid licences to carry out mining activities in Oyo State.
The ministry’s website has 297 mining operators with valid licences listed but SDYB International Company Nigeria Limited is not one of them.
The document stated that Sawane Youssouf along with a Nigerian, Bakare Hakeem Oladimeji and two other Malians; Darame Ibraima and Yattara Ibrahim, are the directors of the mining company.
Ajisafe Olaide is the company’s secretary, according to the CAC document.
The addresses listed for the Directors are as follows: Sawane Youssouf: NW6/96, Akintola Street, Ibadan Oyo; Darame Ibraima: 20, Asirakofa, Aguda, Surulere, Lagos; Yattara Ibrahim: NW6/96, Akintola Street, Ibadan, Oyo; and Bakare Hakeem Oladimeji: NW6/96, Akintola Street, Ibadan, Oyo.
As for the Secretary, Ajisafe Olaide, the address listed is No. 3. General Popoola Street, Agodi GRA, Ibadan, Oyo.
In the document, they claimed to be Nigerians by nationality but sources in the Bodija area said Sawane Youssouf and two of the directors of the company are Malians.
SaharaReporters learnt that Sawane Youssouf and his men had been stockpiling explosives in the house where there was an explosion (ground zero) for several years, intending to expand their mining business.
“The location is just a few distance away from the Oyo State Government Secretariat yet it went on unnoticed, even though it is a residential area.
“His greed and the government’s negligence have led to the loss of lives and property,” a resident said.
SaharaReporters also learnt that Sawane has been using Nigerian security operatives to carry out his mining business without any form of accountability.
The death toll from the explosion increased to five on Thursday as the state government recovered two more lifeless bodies from the scene of the incident.
Fatai Owoseni, the special adviser on security matters to Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State told journalists at the scene of the deadly blast, on Thursday, that the rescue operation was still ongoing.
He said, “As of yesterday, we had three casualties but this morning, just about 30 minutes ago, I got information from the security operatives supporting the medical team that two more dead bodies were recovered this morning.
“A lot of conversations have been going on, a lot of interfacing with the people so that they will see transparency in what the government is doing.
“The security agencies, especially the police, the DSS being supported by the Nigerian Army team EOD Unit as well are putting the bits and pieces of information together to ensure that discreet information is done towards prosecution to ensure that whoever, either directly, remotely connected with that incident are brought to justice.”
The incident was caused by explosives stored by illegal miners occupying a house in the Bodija area of the city, Governor Makinde had earlier revealed.
The victims of the incident who spoke to SaharaReporters on Wednesday described their losses as unquantifiable.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) also confirmed that over 20 houses and places of residence were affected by the blast.