Over one year after, Oyo earmarks ₦4.5bn as relief for Bodija blast victims

The Oyo State Executive Council has approved a fresh ₦4.5 billion relief package—alongside plans for a permanent memorial—to support families affected by the January 16, 2024 Bodija explosion in Ibadan.

Meeting on Wednesday at the Governor’s Office, council members adopted recommendations from the ten‑member committee Governor Seyi Makinde set up last December. Headed by Deputy Governor Bayo Lawal, the panel was tasked with verifying losses and distributing aid.

According to Information Commissioner Dotun Oyelade, the newly sanctioned funds come on top of “over ₦200 million” already spent on emergency shelter, hospital bills, feeding, and security in the immediate aftermath.

Investigators traced the blast to House No. 8, Aderinola Street, where a water‑gel explosive, allegedly stored by Malian miner Mahmoud Camara, ignited after an electric spark. The disaster killed at least five people, injured 78, impacted 335 residents, and damaged 58 buildings, including homes, businesses, three schools, several churches and mosques, and part of the University College Hospital.

To guarantee public safety, the council endorsed the committee’s call to revoke titles to two plots near Adeyi Avenue, the explosion site. A monument will rise on the reclaimed land to commemorate the dead.

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The government also instructed engineers to certify adjoining structures. Any building pronounced sound, Oyelade said, “will be handed back to its owner for reconstruction.”

Oyelade condemned what they called “disinformation, half‑truths and mischievous lies” spread by self‑styled spokespersons for residents, insisting that such narratives were unfair and would not derail “deliberate and just actions in the public interest.”

He acknowledged delays in disbursing funds, citing family disputes among “some intended beneficiaries” that needed careful resolution.

The Ministry of Justice, he added, will pursue “effective prosecution” of suspects already in court while tracking down those still at large.

Wednesday’s announcement came hours after victims released an open letter, “Bodija Community Still in Ashes: A Response to Oyo State Government,” lamenting an 11‑week lag since the committee submitted its report.

“Today, 473 days later, Bodija remains in ashes,” wrote Muyiwa Bamgbose, president of the Bodija Estate Residents’ Association, and Iyiola Oladokun, chair of the Dejo Oyelese Vigilante Group.

“The community continues to mourn, to rebuild, and to plead—largely without governmental empathy or intervention.

“This is a community of retired civil servants, senior professionals, and elderly citizens who have dedicated their lives to Nigeria’s development. Many now live without homes, their dignity eroded, and have been unfairly portrayed as ungrateful by officials who seem to prioritize infrastructure over people.”

While thanking the state for initial emergency help, the letter urged Governor Makinde to move faster:

“The lives lost cannot be replaced, but those left behind can still be rebuilt with compassion, courage, and justice. We appeal once more to His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde, to honour his promise and take decisive action. Bodija must not be forgotten. Bodija deserves healing. This is our plea,” the statement concluded.

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