Following Tuesday night’s ‘uncommon’ explosion in Ibadan, the Miners Association of Nigeria (MAN) on Thursday condemned the illegal storage of explosives in residential areas.
CRUX NEWS reported that the Oyo State governor, Engr Seyi Makinde fingered dynamites from illegal miners for the incident that left at least three persons dead and 77 others injured at the Dejo Oyelese Street, Adeyi Avenue in the Bodija area of the vast city.
The impact of the explosion was reported to have been felt as far away as 15km from the scene of the blast. The explosion also damaged at least 58 buildings and 10 cars.
The President of MAN, Mr Dele Ayanleke, while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, condemned the illegal storage of explosive materials in residential areas by illegal miners.
Ayanleke noted that the illegal miners did not handle the explosives according to regulations guiding their acquisition, handling, storage and usage.
He also noted that legitimate mining companies have storage facilities at their mine sites.
He said the storage of the explosives in a residential area only confirmed that the owners planned to use them at unauthorised mining sites where they did not have mining titles.
“You must obtain a permit and the military must know the quantity of explosives you are buying. Then you must store the materials in the appropriate place in their magazine and there is a register for that.
“Government must know how you plan to use the quantity of explosives you are planning to buy.
“You must obtain permits from the relevant ministry. It is the permits that the miners will take to a government-licenced explosives dealer to be able to buy the specified quantity.
“The movement of explosive materials from the point of purchase must also be accompanied by an explosive officer from the bomb disposal unit of the Nigerian Police,“ Ayanleke explained.
He condemned the Ibadan incident and said the association would support any form of government action against the alleged owners of the explosives stored in unauthorised places.
Ayanleke expressed regrets that the activities of illegal miners were rubbing off negatively on the legitimate business efforts of genuine miners.
He said the association was against any form of illegal mining and called for improved surveillance to prevent a repeat of the explosion.
The MAN president commiserated with Gov. Seyi Makinde and the people of Oyo State over Tuesday’s incident and commended the government on emergency measures deployed to handle the situation.
Following the explosion, the Oyo State government set up an emergency hub on Wednesday to collate and coordinate information about the management of victims of the explosion with the deputy governor, Mr Bayo Lawal, at its head.
The government urged victims of the explosion to submit verifiable evidence of their losses and seek clarifications on the nature of the government’s intervention.
It organised temporary accommodation for those displaced by the explosion and promised to finance the hospital bills of those injured.
“Government is interrogating leads suggesting the storage of explosives by illegal miners in Bodija area of Ibadan as the cause of the explosion,’’ Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade, stated on Wednesday in Ibadan.
