Offa not target of explosion — Olofa

The Olofa of Offa, Offa local government area of Kwara state, Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi, has said that Offa people and the ancient town are not the target of the explosion from a suspected military ordnance that destroyed property on Christmas Day.

Speaking with journalists on the sidelines of the Ijakadi cultural celebration in Offa on Saturday, the monarch appealed to residents of the community to remain calm and go about their end-of-year celebrations without panic.

Tribune Online recalls that a suspected bomb on Christmas night hit Offa, Offa local government area of Kwara State, destroying buildings and injuring about five people, including a couple and their little daughter.

‎The monarch, who said that the community is not targeted for attack by any military operations either within or outside the country, added that security agencies are still investigating what happened and urged the people not to panic.

Two burnt to death, others injured in Lagos tanker explosion

“What happened was just like a drone that affected like three houses, but there was no casualty. It happened around 12 midnight on December 25. I just want to use this opportunity to tell Offa residents’ sons and daughters that the incident didn’t target Offa as a town.

“It was just like a stray bullet that was shot but went to meet another person. I’ve told the people to calm down and not to panic, and they should go ahead with their celebrations of Christmas and other celebrations. Nobody is planning to attack us, they’re not attacking us, and we’re not attacking anybody.

“The state commissioner of police was here. He visited the sites where the destruction happened, and he said Investigation has commenced on the incident”, he said.

The sad incident, which residents suspected to be a bomb explosion, occured at Yidi (Muslim’s prayer ground) along Offa-Ijagbo road, wounding about five people, including a couple and their little daughter.

The woman, identified as Iya Ayo and her daughter, Aisha, were seriously affected and hospitalised at a nearby private hospital.

Neighbours said that the woman was seriously hurt, while another boy’s ear was reportedly chopped.

“They were already asleep when the explosion happened. Iya Ayo’s breast, stomach and arms were pierced by nails”, a source said.

Eyewitnesses said an artisan was also affected, with some adjoining buildings seriously damaged.

According to a petty trader, Madam Joy: “We saw it coming with lights beaming, then rammed into this (pointing) upstairs before going through the other three buildings it pulled down”.

Speaking at the site of the incident on Friday, the state commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, dismissed the speculation on the incident, saying that there was no bomb sent into Offa town by the American military.

“There was no bomb scare in Offa, there was no plane crash. What happened was just an ordnance, and our IED experts have evacuated the debris. There is no more cause for alarm. Everything is now under control as our IED experts have immediately started a discreet investigation”, he said at the site of the incident.

Also, a preliminary statement by the Offa local government described the explosion as a suspected ordnance-related.

It stated that the affected area has been cordoned off by security agencies to allow for further investigations.