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The Bodija Estate Residents Association, Ibadan, on Wednesday, said about 10 people were still missing following the January 17 explosion in the area.
It was gathered that five people died, 77 sustained varying degrees of injury and 58 houses were damaged during the explosion that rocked Dejo Oyelese street in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Governor Seyi Makinde presented the preliminary report of the explosion to President Bola Tinubu at the weekend.
“I think it is now more towards eight and nine persons now, or even 10, whom those in the neighborhood have talked about,” the Association’s President, Muyiwa Bamgbose, told newsmen after their consultative meeting.
“We took the map of the street to them (government) and tried to account for (people) house by house to get accurate information.
“If the person was seen yesterday and was not seen today or you can’t find him again, then you need to get worried. But I believe it’s nearer 10 now,” he added.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that BERA, an umbrella body of all communities in Bodija, also called for massive assistance for victims of the explosion to get back their lives.
It pointed out the need for continuous care and support for victims whose lives had changed unexpectedly since the incident.
Members of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party on Wednesday visited Governor Makinde to commiserate with him and the people of the state over the explosion.
The BoT led by its chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, met the governor at his office, State Secretariat Agodi, Ibadan.
According to NAN, Wabara commended Makinde on behalf of the board for his prompt response to the unfortunate incident and for showing his prowess as an engineer, by directing that a structural integrity test be conducted on about 230 buildings in the affected area.
He expressed the BoT’s condolences to the governor and the government of the state as well as families, who lost loved ones to the incident.
Wabara called for a thorough investigation to unravel the cause of the incident in order to avoid a recurrence of such incidents in the country.
In his response, Makinde appreciated the body for the visit which he described as encouraging, noting that it indicated that the body was looking out for his government.
“There has also been the humanitarian side of things, especially with regards to children affected by the incident, who are supposed to be in school.
“So, you need to keep encouraging us and supporting us where possible as well as keep praying for us,” he said.
Makinde also used the opportunity of the visit to pledge his support for the unity of the PDP, saying he would continue to play a positive role toward ensuring that the party became united and formidable. (Punch)
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