More victims recount ordeal as govt unveils donation platform

More residents affected by the recent explosion that rocked the Bodija area of Ibadan in Oyo State have recounted their ordeals.

PUNCH Online reports that five people died, 77 sustained varying degrees of injury and 58 houses were damaged during the explosion that rocked Dejo Oyelese street.

The state governor, Seyi Makinde, presented the preliminary report of the explosion to President Bola Tinubu at the weekend.

A resident, Olusegun Fashina, who spoke with our correspondent on Thursday narrated how buildings’ windows and doors were damaged.

“Mainly, it (the explosion) affected our glasses because we have a lot of glasses here. The windows are also affected, the doors and the ceilings,” he said.

Pictures of one of the apartments obtained by our correspondent showed damaged windows, glass particles and broken ceilings.

A student who spoke with our correspondent, Moyin Ezekiel, said his schoolmate at The Polytechnic, Ibadan, who lives in the Bodija area suffered memory loss.

“Two of them, females, are involved. One is having a memory loss. If not for the blast that affected them, they were supposed to do their seminar presentation today but they missed it,” Moyin said.

Speaking on government efforts, Fashina, however, noted that the government had opened an emergency centre nearby “and they have asked everybody that is affected to lodge complaint.”

Meanwhile, the state government on Thursday vowed that justice would be served.

In a statement on his X page on Thursday,  Makinde reiterated the government’s “commitment to ensuring that the victims get justice. We are still collating details of those affected and we will announce comprehensive steps our government will take to support the victims to rebuild their lives.”

He disclosed that the government had set up a donation platform for the victims.

“We have also set up a platform for donations to victims. The money donated goes directly to the landlords/residents association’s bank account while our administration will work with them to ensure it is distributed to the right beneficiaries,” he added via @seyimakinde.