A former deputy governor of Oyo State, Chief Iyiola Oladokun, has disclosed that he was in his old Bodija home watching football when the Ibadan explosion occured, on Tuesday.
The former deputy governor said this when a delegation of the Forum of Former Deputy Governors of Nigeria (FFDGN) paid him and other victims of the explosion a condolences visit on Friday.
Recalled that the incident, which led to loss of four lives (officially) and destruction of about 25 houses and property, occured at the Dejo Oyelese Street, off Adeyi Avenue, Old Bodija area of Ibadan on Tuesday evening.
The FFDGN delegation, comprising of various former deputy governors, were directed by the national chairman of the Forum, Chris Akomas, a former deputy governor of Abia State, vide a memo dated 18 January, 2024 to pay the condolence visit.
The delegation, led by a former deputy governor of Oyo State, Alhaji Hazeem Gbolarumi, also had another former deputy governor of the state, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo and a former deputy governor of Osun State, Mrs Grace Tomori-Ponle, in attendance.
Oladokun, who served during the administration of the late former Governor Lam Adesina, also said he lost his property to the incident, but thanked God that nobody in his household was hurt during the explosion.
“My house was affected. We were just watching a football match when the explosion occurred. All the doors that were closed were forced open by the blast. But my wife and I were not hurt.
“The doors, burglaries, windows and even the roof have gone. We couldn’t sleep here that night; we had to find somewhere to sleep,” he told the delegation.
The former Oyo deputy governor expressed appreciation to the Oyo State governor, ‘Seyi Makinde for his swift response to the incident and for the steps he had taken so far to provide succour for the victims.
Oladokun also thanked his colleagues in the FFDGN for deeming it fit to pay him and other victims of the explosion a condolence visit.
Speaking, the leader of the delegation who is also the Deputy National Chairman of FFDGN (South), Alhaji Hazeem Gbolarumi, said he and his team paid the condolence visit as directed by the national leadership of the Forum.
Gbolarumi, who was the deputy governor of Oyo State during the first 11 months of the late Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala-led administration in 2006, described the explosion as unfortunate and sad.
He and other members of the FFDGN delegation commiserated with Chief Oladokun, other victims of the incident, the residents of the affected area and the Oyo State government.
Gbolarumi, who prayed for the victims, also commended Governor Makinde for his swift action and the positive steps taken so far on the explosion and for alleviating the suffering of the victims.
