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FG says culprits in Ibadan explosion will face justice, vows to make public forensic analysis, investigation

Akinade Feyisayo
Akinade Feyisayo
Alake and Tope Alonge at the scene of Ibadan explosion
Alake at the scene of Ibadan eAlake and Tope Alonge at the scene of Ibadan explosion
The Federal Government has assured Nigerians that those found culpable in the circumstances leading to the tragic Ibadan explosion will face the full weight of the law.
Speaking while visiting the scene of the blast for an on-the-spot assessment in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, who led the Federal Government delegation, expressed shock at the scale of devastation and unfortunate loss of lives, stressing that the disaster is man-made and regrettable.
Briefing the Minister on the state government’s rescue efforts, head of the state’s disaster management team, Prof. Tope Alonge noted that the swift response of the state’s first responders and security agencies minimized the level of devastation and reduced the rate of casualties.
Recounting efforts to protect properties in the aftermath of the blast, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Fatai Owoseni revealed that inter-agency collaboration by all security agencies coupled with logistics support from the state government prevented looting of victims’ properties, keeping the site secure to date.
Makinde, Alake and Alonge
Makinde, Alake and Alonge
In his visit to injured victims at the University College Hospital (UCH), the Minister conveyed the goodwill message of President Bola Tinubu, emphasising that the Federal Government will provide all the necessary support to ensure victims get back to their normal lives.
“I am here to convey Mr. President’s deepest sympathies to you and to assure you that the administration stands shoulder to shoulder with you in your efforts to get back to your normal lives and attain full recovery. Be rest assured that succour that will ameliorate the impact of the tragic incident is underway, “the minister added.
Urging citizens to be safety conscious, Alake underscored the imperative of being sensitive to suspicious happenings in the neighbourhood, emphasizing that such incidents should be reported to security agencies to avert future incidents.
Rounding off his visit with a courtesy call to Gov. Seyi Makinde, Alake commended the state’s swift and efficient emergency response system, reiterating that the federal government will make a definite pronouncement after receiving the report of the ongoing forensic investigations.
“Let me assure the people of Oyo State that there will be full disclosure of the report of investigations, and those found culpable will be made to face justice while mechanisms will be put in place to prevent a recurrence.” Alake asserted.

Precisely, Alake assured of meticulous investigation and authentication, followed by efficient implementation of the report on the incident.

Acknowledging public interest in the circumstances around the incident, Alake said the report was not such that the government would sit on it but would be made a public document.

Alake gave this assurance on Monday during a courtesy call with Governor Seyi Makinde at the Oyo Governor’s office in Ibadan.

Calling for calm pending the release of the investigative report, Alake assured that justice would be done to the perpetrators while succour would be provided to the victims.

Though he didn’t give a timeframe for the conclusion of the investigation, Alake said that, at the current pace, the report of the investigation will be released in no distant time.

He said, “The governor has done a yeoman’s job. He has done very commendably in terms of speed in his response to this unfortunate incident. The president is impressed; we are all impressed.

“On our part, we would allow the investigating agencies and various intelligence agencies to conclude the forensic analysis before we make any categorical, verifiable, authentic statement on the issue.

“All the corollary issues arising from this will be answered at the end of the investigation, and everybody will be well informed. We can’t put a timeframe, but at the speed they have started, it will be shorter than you think. We won’t sit on it.

“This is not the kind of report anybody will sit on. The government will not sit on any honest report or investigative analysis. It will be a public document, and people will be kept abreast of it.

“We are drawing from the experience we had on a larger scale in Lagos in 2002 with the Ikeja cantonment blast when our current president was governor and I was commissioner under him then.

“At that time, it was the state government that bore the brunt of it all. We are drawing from our wealth of experience in approaching all these things.

“Whatever the report says, it will be meticulous, authenticated, and efficiently implemented. In the end, justice will be done, not just to the victims but to the perpetrators and culprits, and whatever assistance needs to be given to the Oyo State government, the president won’t hesitate to provide.”

Speaking, Governor Seyi Makinde called for patience, saying a lot still needed to be done to conclude the ongoing investigation into the incident.

At the moment, he said forensic pathologists were continuing their investigation into the incident, while security agencies and other agencies continued to secure the site of the incident.

Makinde added that the state government deemed it imperative to extend the temporary accommodation given to victims while engineers were expanding the number of buildings to experience structural integrity tests.

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