A substance suspected to be bomb exploded at the old Governor’s Office in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State capital in the early hours of the day, creating fear and panic among the people in the state capital.
The explosion at the old governor’s office, which housed the police anti-bomb unit, (Explosive Ordinance Disposal)(EoD), shook many buildings in the area while causing damages to many of them.
The old governor’s office, located at Oke Ori Omi area in Ado Ekiti metropolis, also housed the Ministry of local government and chieftaincy affairs, media office, the boundary office and a part of the ICT unit of the state government.
The explosion reverberated heavily in many locations in the state capital such as Omisanjana, Oja Oba market, Okesa, Okeyinmi, Irona, Ilawe road and other locations.
The bungalow apartment of the EoD office of Ekiti State Police command went down while the adjoining offices that housed the office of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Correspondents’ Chapel, Ekiti chapter was seriously affected.
Many offices located at the old governor’s office were blown-off with louvre blades and glasses windows shattered to pieces while asbestos and polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) ceilings, doors and windscreen of vehicles parked around the offices were shattered and ripped-off.
Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who visited the site of the explosion alongside his deputy, Chief Bisi Egbeyemi, said that the EoD office shouldn’t have been located in the area.
“It ought to be in a far distance from here”, he stressed.
The Commissioner of Police, Mr Asuquo Amba and officers of the anti bomb squad were still removing some of the explosive materials in the area at the time of filing this report.
While addressing newsmen at the site of the bomb blast, Mr. Amba said that he suspected that the explosion was caused by counter terrorism accessories kept in the office.
“Let my men from anti bomb department check around. Officers of the anti bomb are combing the place as you can see.
“This is the office where they keep detonation accessories. The explosion must have been caused by equipment kept in their stock house.
“The area has been cordoned off. We are going to devise means of ensuring improvement in the stocking of this equipment next time.
“We are happy that there is no loss of life, no casualty. Some of these devises are used to detect bomb and to detonate it.
“Some of them used to detonate on their own and that must have caused the explosion”, Amba stated.
The state government, in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information, Muyiwa Olumilua, shortly after the incident, had called for calm.
“An explosion was reported earlier this morning at the Explosives Ordnance Disposal (EOD) office in Ado Ekiti.
“An initial on-the-spot assessment confirms that there are no casualties and the area is secured with no further threats.
“Members of the public are advised to go about their normal duties”, the statement said.
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