Bodija Explosion Victims Lament Unsafe Homes, Inability To Return

News/Opinion

Bodija Explosion Victims Lament Unsafe Homes, Inability To Return

Reported by Ayooluwa Afolabi

Residents of a section of Bodija Housing Estate referred to as Dejo Oyelese Vigilante Group (DOVG) affected by the Tuesday, January 16, 2024, Bodija explosion, yesterday, said that nine months after the explosion that rocked the area, many of them are still squatting with relatives and unable to return home.

According to The Nation, they lamented that some of their houses destroyed by the blast are now overgrown with weeds and invaded by wild animals, adding that most of the residents are senior citizens who have no means at the twilight of their lives to embark on building new houses from their meager resources.

The residents appealed to the Federal and state government to do more to alleviate their sufferings, particularly for financial rehabilitation as it has been done for victims of the mining explosion in Niger State and the victims of the more recent flood disaster in Maiduguri in Borno State.

They said the financial rehabilitation would help many of them to rebuild their houses which they built during their active years.

The residents spoke during a press conference organised by DOVG in commemoration of the nine-month anniversary of the explosion that devastated the area.

Dejo Oyelese Vigilante Group (DOVG) is made up of Residents of Bodija Estate living in Dejo Oyelese Street, Dejo Oyelese Close, Aderinola Street, Aderinola Close, Canon Odusanwo Street, Olagoke Akinlabi Sanda Street, Beckley Street, Oranmiyan Street, and Obasanmi Olakanpo Street of the Bodija Housing Estate. In total, the area is occupied by about 250 families.

The Nation reported that panic erupted in the Bodija area of Ibadan, the Oyo state capital city on Tuesday, January 16, 2024, when explosives allegedly stored by illegal miners went up in flames around the Dejo Oyelese street, leaving many houses worth billions destroyed and lives lost.

Speaking on behalf of the DOVG, Professor Olabode Lucas recalled that the situation was brought about as a result of the unfortunate blast caused by an illegal miner, who through his action of bringing explosives to the area caused an unmitigated disaster to innocent residents of the area.

He said: “The Residents of DOVG have nothing to do with the explosives, as we are just unfortunate victims.

Since this day of infamy on 16th January 2024, the residents have been traumatized and their lives have been turned upside down.

“At the last count, over a hundred houses and numerous cars were destroyed and many lives were unfortunately lost. It is not easy even now to accurately quantify the total cost of the damage but it could not be less than three billion Naira.”

The Residents of DOVG commend President Bola Tinubu and Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state for their initial actions to bring succor, relief, and emotional support to the innocent victims of the explosion.

Prof Lucas said: “To ameliorate the unsavory situation brought about by the unfortunate blast of 16th January 2024, we the Residents of DOVG appeal humbly to the Federal and Oyo State Governments to consider the following so that we can get back our lives.

“We appeal to the federal government for financial rehabilitation as it has been done for victims of the mining explosion in the Niger State and the victims of the more recent flood disaster in Maiduguri in Borno State, all in the Northern part of the country. The financial rehabilitation would help many of us to rebuild the houses that we built during our active years.

“We urge the Oyo state government to act without delay on the list submitted at the Oyo State Housing Corporation on the material losses we suffered as a result of the blast. The list was submitted about nine months ago and up till now the government has not done anything on the list to compensate us, the unfortunate victims as promised.

“We urge that the prosecution of the agents of destruction who disturbed the peace of our residential area on 16th January 2024 should continue unabated. We notice that nothing has been heard on the case, since their arraignment at Ibadan High Court in April.

“We, in the DOVG call for more proactive actions to curb the activities of illegal miners who bring explosives to residential areas to cause mayhem and destruction of lives and properties.

“We, in the DOVG frown at the pernicious hold illegal miners are having on our God-given mineral resources. We find the present situation repulsive.

“In conclusion, we residents of DOVG, say that the unexpected and unfortunate blast in our otherwise peaceful neighbourhood has no doubt caused us untold trauma in our twilight year. We are mainly retired, law-abiding Nigerians who have served and continue to serve our dear country patriotically.

“The blast of 16th January 2024 has rendered many of us homeless and disillusioned. What happened that day was not caused by the activities of any of us. The unmitigated disaster was brought to our doorsteps by unscrupulous people who put money above the lives and wellbeing of innocent and well-meaning Nigerians.”