Some residents of Ibadan, Oyo State, on Tuesday, said there was an explosion in parts of the state capital.
There were also videos online that showed a dusty cloud and burning houses and cars.
A University of Ibadan student, who spoke with our correspondent on the telephone said, “It is true. We all heard the sound and it was very loud. The cloud is cloudy with smoke. it happened at Bodija and we in the UI area could see the smoke. Even those at Sango and Ojo heard the sound. In fact, we are all in a room scared for our life.”
Motunrayo Adegboro, another resident of Barika, about 15 minutes away from the site of the blast in Ibadan confirmed the incident to our correspondent on Tuesday night.
She said, “Some people claimed it was a gas explosion while others said it was a filling station.
“It happened in Bodija. A mall, Ace Mall even collapsed.”
An X user, @WillieWinehouse tweeted, “A f***ing bomb just exploded in Ibadan! My entire house and street are in ruins!! What is going on!!”
Another X user, @the_beardedsina said that there were serious casualties and medical personnel were needed.
He tweeted, “Please Retweet if you see this. If you are a Medical personnel in Ibadan & close by. Please our help & assistance is needed at Adeyi Avenue, Bodija. There are serious casualties there. Please help share.”
Meanwhile, a video which went viral late in the night revealed a male voice disclaimer who noted that Ace Mall was not affected. The mall was well lighted as seen in the video.
The unnamed person said, “Hello guys. This is 9.40pm, 16th of January, 2024. This is Ace Mall Bodija standing. There is no collapse. There is no casualty in Ace. No customer was injured. No staff was injured. We give glory to God for safety.
“Yes, there was a bomb explosion about 500m away or so from Ace Mall. But this is Ace Mall, no casualty, no problem. I will also go to the back and show you a video of the back.”
The state government, has, however, confirmed the explosion.
The state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Dotun Oyelade, in a statement said, “Residents of Ibadan and immediate environ experienced an uncommon explosion about 8pm this evening.
“There are various interpretations of the incident but it is important for us to state categorically that the state government has taken over and is in full control of the unfortunate occurrence in order to mitigate the incident.
“All security service chiefs including paramilitary chiefs and Fire Operatives have been deployed by the governor to Reign in the spillover from the explosion.
“His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde, therefore implores citizens to calm down and be rest assured that their interests are being looked after.”
Meanwhile, the Oyo State Police Command has also confirmed the explosion.
The command, via its X handle, tweeted, “Explosion around Dejo Oyelese Street Bodija Ibadan around 7:44pm today Tuesday 17/01/2024. The cause of the explosion is unknown.
“Number of dead and injured yet unknown as search continues. Ample deployment on the ground. Updates coming up soon.”
Rescue operation is still ongoing at the site of an explosion that occurred at Adeyi Avenue, Bodija Estate, Ibadan, Oyo State capital on Tuesday.
Our correspondent at the scene of the explosion reported that no fewer than 10 bodies that were recovered from the site were taken away in ambulances.
As of press time, rescue workers believe that some persons are still trapped under the rubbles and efforts are ongoing to rescue them.
***
You can visit us for more news at: thenewsdesk.ng
Panic As Explosion Rocks Ibadan, Rescue Operation Ongoing
