The Catholic Archbishop of Ibadan, Most Reverend Gabriel ‘Leke Abegunrin, has commiserated with and prayed for the victims of the deadly explosion in the Bodija area of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital on Tuesday 16 January 2024, which claimed lives.
Archbishop Abegunrin, who visited the site of the disaster in company with some priests and lay faithful of the Archdiocese, also commiserated with the government and people of the state over the incident and commended the state government for its role so far in resettling and assisting the victims of the incident.
Abegunrin said he was impressed with the deployment of security, medical and sundry disaster management personnel at the epicentre of the disaster at Dejo Oyelese Street and Adeyi Avenue.
He expressed the hope that “in no distant time, the state government will assist the individuals and families that were affected by the explosion”, noting that the disaster had “brought panic and sadness in the lives of the people of Oyo State and affected persons and families.”
He commended Governor Seyi Makinde for his prompt response and the steps taken by his government so far on the incident, especially the deployment of security personnel, medical team and other disaster management officers who were still on the ground at the site at the time of his visit.
Archbishop Abegunrin, who was on site with Reverend Father Francis Awotoye, Reverend Father Victor Ugbor (priests from the Catholic Archdiocese of Ibadan) and some lay faithful, said “on behalf of the Catholic Church, we commiserate with the state governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde, the good people of the state, and especially families that are affected directly by the catastrophic event.”
The cleric, who also visited some of the victims and residents of Dejo Oyelese Street and Adeyi Avenue in Bodija shared the word of God with them and prayed for those who survived the explosion, the injured, and the dead.
and then