• Says anyone caught will face full wrath of law
• Malian, Yousouff, denies owning Bodija building, explosives
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, yesterday signed into law an Executive Order on handling and storage of harmful substances. This followed the unfortunate incident that claimed innocent lives and destroyed property at Bodija in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Makinde, who spoke with journalists after signing the Executive Order into law at his private office, said the move became imperative in the light of the unfortunate incident at Bodija where explosives were stored in a residential area. He said with the new law, such an incident would never reoccur in the state.
Makinde said: “I just signed an Executive Order on handling and storage of harmful substances. If you are caught in Oyo State not following the law, the law will take its full course. There is zero tolerance on handling of harmful substances.”
MEANWHILE, the Malian, Sawane Youssouf, suspected to be the owner of the Ground Zero building where explosives were allegedly stockpiled, leading to the explosion that rocked Bodija area in Ibadan, Oyo State, has said that he neither owned nor rented the house in question for any activity.
Youssouf, in a statement he personally signed and titled, “Bodija Explosion: My own side of the Story,” and made available to newsmen in Ibadan, yesterday, said that though the incident was unfortunate, his activities as a miner were legal.
He said that though he resides in Ibadan, he had never rented or owned a house at Dejo Oyelese Avenue in Bodija where the incident happened. He, therefore, promised to help the security agencies during further investigation into the sad incident.
He said: “I felt the need to, once again, state my own side of the story to clear the minds of the public about my alleged involvement in the sad incident.
“Insinuations are rife that I am the owner of the Ground Zero building where the explosives that led to the explosion were stockpiled and warehoused, prior to the incident.
“It is against the above that I categorically state and declare here again now that I am not the owner of the building and explosives in question.
“While it is true that l am into mining in Oyo State, all my activities are legal in accordance with the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution.”
“I also don’t have anything to do with the explosives that led to the huge loss of human lives and the collateral destruction of property at the scene of the incident.
“I am using this medium to appeal to the Oyo State government, security agencies and other appropriate authorities to beam their searchlight further to reveal the identity of the real owners of the building and the explosives that led to the explosion,” he added.
