17th January 2025
WALE AKINSELURE
One year ago, an explosion disrupted the calm Old Bodija, Ibadan, sending panic across the entire Oyo State capital. The explosion left human casualties and material losses in its wake. WALE AKINSELURE, in this report, details firsthand accounts and recovery stages after the explosion, the victims’ quest for relief, and the current state of the epicentre of the blast
“There is still a hole in my ears that affects my hearing; mine is a bit better than my son who had two of his ears perforated by the bang. He’s still nursing it and we are strictly heeding the warning not to allow liquid into the ear. For a while, I couldn’t wear a bra because I had bruises all over,” Mrs Tosin Olujimi, who lived at 6, Aderinola Street, Old Bodija, Ibadan, told The PUNCH.
“I still have this pain in my left leg. This is apart from bruises and eardrum perforations. My ears are still ringing. As I am talking to you, both ears are ringing. It is the same for my kids, their ears still ring. But it is better than being dead. During this past festive season, at the sound of every knockout, one of my sons would constantly shake. Whenever he can’t bear the sound anymore, he runs indoors. I understand what he’s still going through,” Mohammed Danesi, who used to live at 6, Aderinola Street, Old Bodija, Ibadan, also said.
“I still mourn the loss of my friend’s son, Fimihan who was trying to drive his car off the scene when the bomb exploded and killed him. Fimihan usually kept an eye on my house whenever I travelled out of the country. I also feel sorry for his son who was badly injured. I feel sorry because he suffers from the trauma of seeing his father die,” 86-year-old Dr Coker Akinyele, who used to live at 10 Aderinola Street, Old Bodija, Ibadan, added.
“It was the Gaza strip at my doorstep, everywhere was dark and dusty. You don’t understand the Ukraine, Syria, and Gaza bombings until they happen close to you. I saw people moving aimlessly about. One image that I will never forget was that of an old woman, stark naked, walking aimlessly about. Can the trauma ever go or be quantified?” Professor Lucas Olabode, who lives at 22 Dejo Oyelese Street, Old Bodija, Ibadan, said.
“My wife and I lay flat immediately after we heard the loud bang. The ceiling came crashing on my wife’s leg and she had a deep cut we nursed for months. She didn’t realise until she was trying to stand and felt the pain in her leg. It was when she touched the painful part that she realized it was blood all over,” Mr Oduntan Oginni, who lives at 11 Obasanmi Olakanpo Street, Bodija, recounted.
These are tales of some of those closest to Number 8, Aderinola Street, Old Bodija, Ibadan, the exact location of the January 16, 2024 explosion. That day will remain unforgettable in the annals of the history of Ibadan as that one bang at House Number 8 reverberated through animate and inanimate of the city scattered among seven hills. From Bodija to Sango, University of Ibadan, Mokola, Challenge, Omi-Adio, Apata, Eleyele, and Ojoo, the panic was palpable. Particularly in Bodija, Sango and the environs, people ran helter-skelter; cars held up at the Sango junction blared their horns with drivers trying to escape to another area deemed safe; windows and glasses were shattered; ceilings and roofs came crashing down; there were cracks on buildings; some structures disintegrated as if biscuits were being broken. That evening, the narrations by residents of Ibadan about what happened were diverse. “Oh! Boko Haram has dropped a bomb in Ibadan; No, it’s ISWAP; actually, it is a gas station beside Ventura mall that exploded; no, it was a transformer explosion; It is an earthquake, no, it is earth tremor; I said it, the end time is finally here, Lord, I am sorry for my sins, have mercy on me; this is Armageddon; it is a massive building that collapsed.” For many minutes, many were unsure of what exactly had happened and the exact location of the incident. That it happened at Dejo Oyelese Street, old Bodija, went viral. The duty to unravel the mystery then fell on the laps of security agencies. And personnel of the Police, Army, Fire Service, Civil Defence, Amotekun beamed their car lights through the dark to the exact location. Getting to the location, it became certain that some kind of explosion had occurred. Men of the anti-bomb squad were then called upon to assess the location to be sure that there were no more explosives to go off. After getting an “All clear” report from the anti-bomb squad, the Red Cross was invited for rescue efforts to begin, just as the State Governor, Seyi Makinde and other government officials visited in the wee hours of January 17 to ascertain the state of things. It was later revealed by the state government that the actual explosive that went off was a water gel-type-based explosive triggered by an electric spark. The epicentre of the explosion was Number 8, Aderinola Street, rented by one Mahmoud Camara, a Malian engaged in mining, where he stockpiled the explosives.
The deed was done. From the wee hours till the day break and all through January 17, personnel of the Red Cross, assisted by other relevant agencies, scavenged through the rubble looking for both deceased and survivors. The search for probable leftover explosives and bodies was aided by sniffer dogs. Aderinola Street became a Mecca of all sorts with people from the nooks and crannies of Ibadan keen to know what exactly happened the night before. Security agencies had a hell time trying to ward off people from disrupting the rescue efforts. Many a time, soldiers had to be engaged before onlookers would allow excavators to pass through the rubble to see if there were still humans underneath. Times without number, people breached the barricade tape with police, and soldiers constantly shouting, “Move back.” The onlookers did the counting 1,2,3,4,5 whenever the Red Cross brought body bags from the rubble into their waiting van. At the sight of each body bag, some wailed, “Ikunle abiamo o, Ah! Ah! Ah! O ma se o, Oro o.” All around the epicentre were papers, particularly mining certifications, and documents. There were also people on the street, hurriedly dressed, seen moving out bags, relocating for fear that their houses may collapse on them as their integrity needed to be ascertained by government agencies.
For those residents of Aderinola Street and adjoining streets, who were at home, January 16, 2024, 7.30 pm, is an unforgettable day and time. One year later, the memories of that unfortunate experience are still fresh.
Blast flung me into concrete gutter – Olujimi
Olujimi’s house was beside the epicentre of the blast. As usual, she would pass in front of ground zero before getting to her house. Returning home minutes to 7 pm, she noticed some sparks from her neighbour’s flat. She felt someone was charging his or her phone indoors and was worried that the spark would have damaged the person’s phone. She rushed indoors to ask her son, David, (a web designer), who had his ears plugged, whether there was some electrical fault in the house. He responded that there was nothing of such and plugged back his earpiece. Olujimi went into her room to change into some loose clothes and relax a little before cooking dinner. As she lay on the bed, she began hearing someone shout, “Anybody home? Anybody home?” She initially ignored wondering what ‘village boy’ had arrived. “Doesn’t he know this is an estate which is usually quiet?” she wondered. But when she saw that the boy was pacing around frantically and shouting at the top of his voice, “Anybody home,” she was forced to come out to ask what the problem was. She asked, “O boy, what is happening?” They responded, “Mummy, there is a fire in the next building.” Hearing this, Olujimi dashed out to see that the fire was on her right. “It was thick brown, accompanied by sparks of light inside. And so, I ran out, and became the one shouting, everybody out, everybody out, there is fire. I was running all over the street, shouting, help, fire, come out, help, help,” Olujimi said. She said all five of them in the house ran out. The house got heated up. While shouting to get the attention of the people in a nearby white bungalow, the next thing she heard was the loudest bang ever.
“The explosion flung me inside the concrete gutter near the big white house and everything went black. Of course, my wrapper was in shreds by this time. And then the only thing I could remember was, I kept hearing this message. I kept hearing this. ‘And you will live, you will not die, you will live to declare the glory of the Lord in the land of the living. I think it was the first time I knew I was alive,” Olujimi said.
Abruptly ending Magbrib prayer saving grace – Mohammed Danesi
Danesi was on the sixth day of fasting when the incident happened. Typically, he would observe the Maghrib prayers outside but that day, he just felt an urge to have the prayers at home. He was home with his two children. It was time to break his fast but needed to pray first. He laid the praying mat and led his two sons in prayer. He had an aerial view of the next compound from where he was praying. From there, he sighted the fire in the next compound. He felt one urge to complete the prayers before checking what was happening but heeded the other urge. “When I sighted the fire, I stopped the prayers. The children asked what was wrong. I responded, “My neighbour’s house is on fire. Let’s go and help then come back to pray. That decision was a saving grace. If we hesitated, it would have been a different story.” He also saw the “village boy” shouting, “Anybody home?” Danesi said he got a fire extinguisher but the village boy said what was happening was more than what a fire extinguisher could handle. Danesi had then told the younger of his two sons who followed him downstairs to get his phone from the praying mat so he could call the fire service. According to Danesi, it was God at work as his son whom he asked to get him his phone was sluggish about going.
“He was walking sluggishly, I was even shouting at him to move fast. I didn’t know it was God at work. Then at some point, I started walking back to my gate to meet up with my boy who I expected to bring my phone. I was taking some steps towards the gate when the blast happened. Just one very loud noise. Boom! That was it. I couldn’t see. “Everywhere was filled with thick smoke, dusty and cloudy.
”Honestly, at that moment, I didn’t remember my sons. What are you talking about? When some people are shouting, they want to go to war, they don’t know what is called war. I didn’t even remember I had children, honestly. I didn’t even know what was happening again. I was asking myself, ‘Am I dead? Am I still alive?’ What is happening? That boy that was shouting, anybody home, didn’t make it. His stomach was perforated. It wasn’t that ground zero collapsed, ground zero disappeared. It ceased to exist. It was our building that came down, that collapsed, and other buildings around. Ground zero disappeared, disintegrated,” Danesi said.
A day of infamy – Lucas
Professor Olabode Lucas, who resided on the next street to Aderinola, described it as a day of infamy. He recounted: “Cars were tossed up and twisted. It was a day of infamy. The streets were dark and dusty. Many people were not at home when it happened. They were caught at the gate. The place was like a football field when the thing happened. I was at home that day but I thank God for keeping my life. Many people died. We were still celebrating the New Year when it happened. Personally, this last festive celebration was subdued because every January 16 will now be remembered with some sadness.”
I want to rebuild house as final resting place – Akinyele Coker
- Eighty-six-year-old Akinyele Coker lamented that the explosion “evaporated” his house which he built in 1976. Coker, who was outside the country for the festive holidays, said he is still pained that Fimihan who watched the house while he was away, was killed in the explosion. He said what was obliterated from the blast was a bungalow and if supported by the government, he would want to rebuild as his plan is not to die abroad but to die at his Ibadan home.
“I made a conservative claim in the forms filled in, because all I want is another place where I can call my own so that I can die there. Nothing more. My house was a bungalow for me so I just want to rebuild it so I can have a resting place. I have not built another house since I built that one in 1976, at a time I worked at the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture. Just give me that house, and I will re-furnish it. I would put those things that make me comfortable. I hope I can live there for another five years before I die,” Coker said.
Darkest night ever, air became polluted – Oduntan
Oduntan Oginni recounted that the explosion made the night darker than usual, while the air became polluted such that it would kill an asthma patient.
“There was total darkness, the air was polluted and you could perceive it. It was dark, but it became darker. It was the darkest night I ever experienced, very very dark. Even with the car light on, you couldn’t see beyond a yard. It looked like those old trucks moving uphill emitting dark smoke. The houses on the left and right of the Kamara’s house disappeared. Three houses disappeared where the explosion happened. We could only see a crater, a very deep ground, and a big hole.”
I just praise God for saving my life – Morakinyo
Engineer John Morakinyo, who lives on Dejo Oyelese Street, escaped by the whiskers. He was in his bedroom when the bang went with the house crashing on him. Everything went blank for him until he was rescued from the rubble. “I praise God for saving my life and shall continue to glorify His Holy name. I shall like to live it that way,” Morakinyo said.
Gone with the blast
While some victims live to tell their stories, the blast killed no fewer than five persons. They are Mr Fimihan Fagbemi, Mr Toluwase Kehinde, Mr Ladipo Oyebamiji, Mrs Bolanle Badmus, Mr Bolu Adebiyi. The five died in agonizing circumstances. It ranged from one caught up while driving his car off the scene to others having sharp objects flung around as a result of the explosion penetrating them. Another, who was asthmatic, died as a result of inhaling a lot of bad air while a carer died in the rubble when the stairs of the building she lived in collapsed.
One-year wait for prosecution of culprits
The Oyo State government put the casualties at five deaths, 78 persons sustaining injuries, 58 houses damaged, and 335 persons affected including 16 companies or business operators, churches, mosques, three schools as well as the University College Hospital. The losses reported included fatality, injuries of various degrees, damages ranging from total collapse to submerging of houses, collateral and minimal damage to houses. Three persons were on March 6 arraigned before a Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan, over the January 16 explosion. They are Ramotu Camara, 47 years; Ganiyu Malik, 20 years and Abubakar Samasa, 64 years. They were accused of conspiracy to commit a felony with explosives, lethal devices, handling and use of radioactive and nuclear materials, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, an offence deemed punishable under section 26 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022. The three persons pleaded not guilty to the charge, after which the court ordered their remand. However, one Mahmoud Camara, a Malian, who rented the twin duplex that exploded, is reportedly still at large. Most of the victims of the incident called for the prosecution of those stored explosives that led to the calamity that befell them.
President of Bodija Estate Residents’ Association, Muyiwa Bamgbose, affirmed that the residents were following the prosecution of the court case. “On prosecution of those who stored explosives, the trial is still ongoing. Three people are being prosecuted but the main man who stored the explosives is said to still be at large in Mali. We hear that those arrested are still in custody,” Bamgbose said.
Addressing the media recently, the Oyo Commissioner of Police, Sonubi Ayodele gave the assurance that the case was still being prosecuted. Though he acknowledged that the conclusion of the case looked slow, he assured that justice would be done.
Governor Seyi Makinde also affirmed that security operatives were prosecuting the case. “As a government, we have taken steps to prosecute those who caused this unfortunate incident. They are facing trial for terrorism and are currently being held in prison.” Makinde said.
The continued wait for govt financial relief
Over 300 individuals who detailed the extent of their losses in the register opened by the state government at the Oyo State House Corporation, in the wake of the incident, still await government relief. While the Bodija Estate Residents’ Association estimated losses amounting to over N5bn, the Oyo governor said a detailed evaluation of the damages by the Nigeria Society of Engineers amounted to over N3bn. Speaking in December 2024, Makinde particularly frowned that the Bodija residents referred to his administration receiving billions of naira from the federal government for the incident which was yet to be disbursed. Makinde said, “The government agreed to disburse the sum to support affected individuals. Some people later demanded N5 billion, claiming the government got money for the incident. I told them they don’t run the government with us, and they were part of the report.”
Mentioning that the state government took steps immediately after the incident happened to include spending about N20m weekly on housing and feeding the victims, and securing the explosion area, Makinde said the state government would provide financial support and not compensation.
“When the Bodija incident happened, we took steps immediately to restore normalcy. For those whose property was destroyed, I have a responsibility to let people know how things happened. The victims will be supported, not compensated. In addition to financial support, contracts have been awarded to repair roads in the affected area,” Makinde said.
To harmonise the lists of beneficiaries from the residents’ association, National Emergency Management Agency and the Emergency Operating Centre set up after the incident, Governor Seyi Makinde on December 24, 2024, set up a 10-man disbursement committee headed by the state deputy governor, Mr Bayo Lawal. The lists being harmonized determine the amount of support per individual based on the kind of damage, whether to the roof, window, door, wall or ceiling. It also factors the distance of the property to the epicentre, as well as the kind of building ranging from bungalow to storey building. Special consideration is being given to commercial places, business centres as well as religious houses. It was gathered that claims for losses range from a minimum of N600,000 to over N200m, amounting to a total of over N4bn, but disbursement would be dependent on the amount approved by the governor. BERA President, Muyiwa Bamgbose said residents yearn for the government’s support, prosecution of the culprits and a closure on the incident. Bamgbose said, “The community wants a closure of the matter as soon as possible to enable it to advance in the areas of rebuilding and self-policing. Many affected have sourced funds to fix their houses. I believe that everybody wants closure as soon as possible, including the governor. The government wants to build a monument at the epicentre, something to remind us about what happened there.”
Epicentre now overgrown with weeds
A visit to Aderinola Street shows that the epicentre, Number 8; as well as House 6 and 10 to its left and right remain a flat surface, but are now overgrown by weeds. There are two flags, Oyo State and Nigeria, stationed at the epicentre of the blast. House 27, which belongs to a late governor, is still standing, but with shattered roofs and ceilings. House 19 is abandoned with broken bricks in its frontage. Two houses directly opposite the epicenter are shattered while two others on the adjoining street are in a near-collapse state. Some houses on the street look abandoned and overgrown with weeds while there is evidence of patchwork done on several buildings in the area. The evidence ranges from concrete patching to close-up cracks from the explosion to the replacement of ceilings, roofs, windows and doors. Meanwhile, the site is still being secured as four soldiers were sighted at a nearby shed – the writer had to obtain their permission before proceeding to examine the site. Also, three Amotekun officials were sighted at another shed adjacent to that of the soldiers. (PUNCH)