Ibadan blast: FG sets up committee to review laws on explosives

The Federal Executive Council on Wednesday said it has set up a committee to review the laws guiding the control of explosives in the country.

This is coming after the devastating explosion that rocked the ancient city of Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, on Tuesday night,

The committee would determine whether these were violated by the illegal miners identified in the preliminary investigations by security agencies, the Minister of Defense, Mohammed Abubakar, told State House Correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday.

The council, presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, expressed worries about the incident, noting the need to avert future occurrences.

At least two persons were confirmed dead and over 80 were injured in the explosion also which destroyed several buildings, vehicles, and other properties.

The Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, who visited the scene of the explosion, confirmed the casualties, adding that the explosion occurred at Adeyi Avenue, Bodija.

However, settlers say the blast was heard and felt kilometres away in many parts of the city.

Makinde said preliminary investigations by security agencies revealed that the blast was triggered by illegal miners occupying one of the houses in Bodija.

Abubakar said despite preliminary investigations linking the incident to explosives stored by illegal miners; the authorities are not ruling out gas as a possible cause.

However, federal agents are on the ground to ascertain the proximate and remote causes of the incident.

Fielding questions on the issue, he said, “The first question has to do with the Ibadan explosion where the governor said that preliminary investigation suggested that there are some explosives around the area where it happened that are owned by some illegal miners.

“Well, we have seen that report. There is another report suggesting that it was a gas explosion. So, our team is there trying to find out the cause.

“But for the council to be proactive, it has already set up the committee that I told you to look into how the control of explosives law was broken if, indeed, there are explosives around the area where this incident happened.”

The Minister said the committee was set up to review the laws guiding the control of explosives “to see where the chain is broken and see how it can be fixed and gather more information if this is happening rampantly around the country.”

“You all know that there are strict rules in the storage, movement and ownership of these explosives and the rules are being monitored. If there is any case of breakdown, we will find out and deal with it,” he added.

Earlier, Tinubu called on the relevant government agencies to “fish out” and “punish” those responsible for what he called “reckless behaviour” that triggered the blast.

He expressed sadness over the incident, which he described as “worrisome.”

In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, the President said, “It is worrisome that the cause of the blast is being attributed to the activities of illegal miners.

“Those behind the inexcusable and reckless behaviour that has created the conditions for the sad incident to occur must be fished out and punished.”