18th January, 2024
By Taiwo Okanlawon
Popular Nollywood actress, Aisha Lawal, has recounted her ordeal after she narrowly escaped the recent explosion that happened in Ibadan.
Tuesday night’s explosion occurred at Adeyi Avenue in the Bodija area of Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.
Vibrations from the explosion were felt kilometres away from ground zero, with window panes and ceilings of some houses across the city getting shattered as a result.
Sharing her experience via Instagram, the actress said she was in Bodija at the time of the explosion.
Lawal added that the deafening impact still resonates in her ears.
“Alhamdulilahi for today, l was at bodija when the explosion happened, infact my ears are still ringing from the effect, Thank God for our lives,” she wrote.
“I even parked to buy suya opposite that estate o. I now later moved my car from sloggers club to metro hotel on that same Osuntokun when all happened. Ọlọ́run àánú ó.
“Too many dead bodies,ehhhhh ⚫ what exactly is going on ooo. Olohun sanu ooo.”
In a follow-up post, the actress wrote: “Thank you everyone I an very fine, Eti mi ni kan lo ooooooo oooo. Olohun tobi ju oun gbogbo lo”.
Residents of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, were, on Tuesday at about 8 p.m., thrown into confusion as an explosion rocked parts of the city, leaving people scampering for safety.
Because the explosion was heard in many parts of the ancient city, there was confusion about its exact cause and location. While some residents described the incident as a tremor, others said it could have been a gas explosion or a blast from an improvised explosive device.
Different accounts listed some of the affected areas including Eleyele, Ologuneru, Owalla, Ekerin, Isokan, Apete and parts of the University College Hospital (UCH) where windows were reportedly shattered.
Other affected places included Gbaremu, Mokola, Bodija, Oke-Itunu, Basorun, Akobo and Sango. Sections of the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Oyo State House of Assembly and residence of the former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, the late Bola Ige, were also reportedly affected.
Seyi Makinde, governor of the state, earlier said the explosion, which injured 77 people, was caused by illegal miners who stored explosive devices in one of the buildings in the Bodija area.
“We visited the scene of the explosion which occurred at about 7.44 pm yesterday, 16 January 2024 in Bodija, Ibadan,” the governor said.
“This unfortunate incident resulted in death and injury to residents in the vicinity and also affected properties.
“We have already deployed first responders and all relevant agencies within Oyo State to carry out comprehensive search and rescue operations.”
Earlier on Wednesday, a yet-to-be-identified man was also pulled out alive from the rubble that ensued following the explosion.