Outrage as Ibadan explosion exposes illegal mining, weak regulations

• FEC raises committee to review laws on explosives
• Those behind explosion must be fished out, says Tinubu
• Alake vows to tighten noose on illegal mining, acquisition of explosives
• Afenifere, Urban Alert call for review of illegal mining activities
• Foreign illegal miners ran out of building before explosion, says survivor
• Buildings of ex-Oyo deputy governor, Bola Ige, Akintola, UCH damaged

As victims count their losses from Tuesday’s explosion that shattered the serenity of Ibadan metropolis, there has been renewed calls for the review of activities of illegal miners in the country to checkmate the menace, particularly preventing the recurrence of such explosion.

The incident, in a preliminary investigation by the Oyo State Government, revealed that the explosion may not be unconnected with the storage of explosives in a residential building by illegal miners.

The Guardian learnt that at least three lives were lost, with about 80 injured and scores of houses severely damaged. Unofficial sources said the casualties were more.

President Bola Tinubu had ordered the setting up of a committee to investigate the possible breach of explosive control laws in the country, and to bring perpetrators to book.

Urban Alert, a civic-tech, nongovernmental initiative, yesterday, noted that weak mining laws and the inadequacies that exist in Nigeria’s public institutions are responsible for the explosion that rocked Ibadan, the state capital of Oyo State on Tuesday.

The civic-tech nongovernmental organisation further noted that weak government agencies also open windows for illegalities and miners (licensed and illegal) that often exploit the system.

The NGO, in a statement signed by its Communications Associate, Titilade Alayande, said that the weak mining laws and the inadequacies that exist in Nigeria’s public institutions create a conducive environment for illegal mining and uncontrolled mining, leading to significant lapses in public safety.

Fielding questions from State House correspondents on the explosion after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru, said the council has ordered an immediate investigation to unravel the immediate cause of the incident.

Badaru noted that despite preliminary investigations suggesting that explosives stored by illegal miners may be the cause, there was also suspicion in some quarters that the explosion could have been triggered by gas.

“But for the Council to be proactive, it has already set up the committee to look into how the control of explosives law was broken, if indeed there are explosives around the area where this incident happened.”

Earlier, President Tinubu, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, directed all relevant authorities to ensure that those behind the incident are fished out.

He said: “It is worrisome that the cause of the blast is being attributed to the activities of illegal miners. Those behind the inexcusable and reckless behaviour that has created the conditions for the sad incident to occur must be fished out and punished.”

The President directed the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to work with the Oyo State government to offer immediate and comprehensive relief to the victims.

Also, the Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr Oladele Alake, has vowed to tighten the noose around those acquiring explosives and storing them illegally.

In a statement, he said the ministry’s mine officers were already on site in Ibadan to join ongoing investigations to find out the immediate and remote cause of the explosion.

“We have ordered detailed investigation and our officers will work and collaborate with Oyo State government to know the actual cause. If the explosion was caused by mining explosives devices as earlier reported, the ministry will double its effort to tighten the noose around those acquiring explosives and storing them illegally.”

As at yesterday, there were still conflicting reports over the number of casualties. While some eyewitnesses and residents claimed that over 88 people died as a result of the blast and that human bodies were still being evacuated from under the rubbles, government officials said the casualties are not more than three.

Pictorial evidence showed that many buildings close to the scene of the blast were badly damaged structurally, while some collapsed due to the impact of the explosion.

There was also conflicting information about the cause of the blast. The government had attributed it to illegal miners, who stored explosives in unauthorised buildings but others claimed some elements of Boko Haram insurgency may have penetrated Oyo State.