Afenifere calls for inquiry on Akure explosion

By DAPO AKINREFON

The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, on Saturday, called on relevant security agencies to probe the bomb explosion the occurred on the Akure-Owo road.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin, Afenifere consoled with the Ondo State government over the incident and called for an inquiry into the explosion.

The statement reads: “Afenifere expresses our heartfelt sympathy with the government and people of Ondo State over the explosion that occurred on Akure-Owo road early this morning.

“All accounts so far indicate that the explosion occurred from a possible fire incident from a vehicle that was carrying explosives through the state.

“Though the identities of the movers have not yet been known, the police have claimed they were escorting the ordinances (bombs) when they noticed some challenge.

“While we have nothing to contradict the stated accounts yet, we demand an inquiry into this disaster in accordance with Ordinance and Fiream Acts to be able to determine the type of ordinances that exploded.

“The inquiry should be able to ascertain the identities of those transporting the ordinances; the origin of the ordinances:

Who assigned the escorting policemen and under what circumstance and where was the destination of the Improvised Explosive Devices.

While we wait for answers, we must express our displeasure with the rate of explosions in Yorubaland in recent time.

First was the blast in Ekiti State in early February with investigation blaming it on “human error”.

This was followed by the massive explosion in Abule Ado in Lagos which was attributed to some spurious pipeline explosion which we rejected because the long-range impacts of that explosion could not have come from pipeline explosion.

Till date we don’t know the owners of the articulated vehicles found on the scene of the Lagos explosion while the number of casualties and level of suggested damage done to Catholic owned Bethlehem School suggested deliberate targeting.

“While we wait to know the level of casualty in the latest incident in Ondo, we appeal to our people to be very careful in these perilous times.” (Vanguard)