The Oyo State House of Assembly has disclosed the identity of Sawani Yusuf as the alleged mastermind behind the recent explosion in Ibadan. The nationality of Yusuf remains unconfirmed, prompting the Assembly to call on security agencies to intensify efforts to apprehend all individuals involved in the incident.
Addressing the issue during a recent plenary session, the House focused on a motion titled “URGENT NEED FOR ALL REGULATORY AGENCIES TO ENFORCE SAFETY P RECAUTIONS ESPECIALLY IN HANDLING AND STORING OF EXPLOSIVES (DYNAMITES) IN VIEW OF THE EXPLOSION THAT ROCKED OLD BODIJA AREA OF IBADAN ON TUESDAY, 16TH JANUARY, 2024,” presented by Adebayo Babajide, representing Ibadan North II.
The Majority Leader, Sanjo Adedoyin, disclosed that the explosion originated from a property in the Dejo Oyelese area of Bodija, purportedly owned by Yusuf. Expressing deep concern over the storage of explosives in a residential area, the Assembly demanded clarification on who authorized the storage and questioned the handling of the dynamites.
During his remarks, Speaker Adebo Ogundoyin stated, “We can discuss different angles to how the situation affects us and different solutions as to ensuring that this situation never occurs again, but for now, let us wait for the outcome of the security investigation to shed more light on the happenings.”
He added, “As soon as we have more information, I’m sure we’ll be able to deliberate further on the next course of action. We also want the Ministry of Environment to examine the state Environmental Laws to determine whether or not there are consequences for such actions. If there are not, then there are lacunae in the laws, and we have to take immediate steps to address that.”
However, he instructed the House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources to scrutinize the legal provisions and ascertain the subsequent legislative actions. The committee was mandated to present its findings to the House within one week.