Families and friends of some of the victims of Sunday’s explosion in the Abule-Ado area of Lagos State have continued to share their grief over the incident that claimed 20 lives and injured several on Sunday.
For instance, Ada Nnaji, the mother of the head girl of the Bethlehem Girls College, Ogochukwu, said she thought her daughter was dead when she saw her in the hospital.
Ogochukwu was among the 50 pupils of the college, who were injured when buildings on the school premises collapsed on them as Mass was being celebrated.
The impact of the explosion destroyed over 50 houses and many vehicles parked in the area.
The Principal of the Bethlehem Girls College, Rev. Sr. Henrietta Alokha, was killed while rescuing the schoolgirls.
Speaking to a Punch reporter at the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital, Ojo, on Tuesday, Ada said the person, who called her, did not tell her what had happened to her daughter, adding that she was just told that Ogochukwu had been rushed to hospital.
She stated, “I was in the house at the Alaba International Market area preparing for church when someone called me that my daughter had been rushed to hospital, but the person did not tell me what happened to her.
“I immediately mounted a motorcycle and when I got to Abule-Ado, I saw thick smoke and when I asked the motorcyclist what happened, he just told me that it was the market in the area that was burning. I didn’t know that the thing had affected my daughter’s school.
“When I got to the hospital and saw my daughter soaked in blood, I thought she was dead. She was in a critical condition when she was brought here; she had cuts on her head, neck and legs; and her thighs were stitched up.
“When I asked her what happened, she said she and the other pupils were in the chapel for Mass when the explosion occurred and that she did not know how she came out of the place. She said when she fell down, something fell on her. I’m happy that my daughter did not die and is responding to treatment.”
‘My son and I were thrown out of the house’
Narrating her ordeal, 48-year-old Adanma Mucheogbonaya, said the blast threw her and her son out of their house, adding that she did not know how she got to the hospital.
Mucheogbonaya stated, “It was a terrible experience for me, because of the way the explosion lifted my son and I from the room. The explosion blasted the wall and lifted us and threw us outside.
“I was in a pool of my own blood shouting for help, but nobody answered me until a good Samaritan came to my rescue. If someone had told me that I would be alive, I would have said that it was a lie, because glass pierced all my body.
“The explosion destroyed my vehicle and my house, and I learnt that vandals had stolen everything I have. This is a tragedy for me and I don’t know where to start from.”
I was to go for trial in Dubai on Monday – Footballer
A 23-year-old footballer, Favour Okafor, who had planned to travel to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Monday for trial, told PUNCH Metro that he was in the hotel arranging his luggage when the incident occurred.
He said, “I was supposed to travel to Dubia on Monday and I was in my hotel room arranging my clothes when I heard a loud sound and before I could come out, the walls had started collapsing on me and as I was trying to run, debris from the walls were hitting me.
“I did not know how I managed to escape from the rubble. I only had big cuts on one of my legs and hands. I thank God that I am recuperating very well.”
My four children and I have nothing left– Landlord’s widow
The widow of a landlord, who died in the explosion, Uju Ose, said she and her four children were left with no means of livelihood as their building was completely burnt down.
Uju’s husband, Festus, was among the 20 corpses recovered by emergency responders at the scene of the explosion.
Uju stated that the family planned to celebrate their child dedication on the day of the explosion, which rendered them homeless.
She said, “I had finished bathing my children and we were eating and getting ready for church when someone said there was smoke outside. I quickly told the person to take my children out of the house and I ran upstairs to carry my baby. My husband was in the house when the explosion occurred and the house collapsed. It was at that moment that my husband was killed.
“We are only left with the clothes on us that morning; we were not able to remove anything from the rubble of the collapsed house. Some friends gave my children clothes to wear.
“My children, who are in school, can no longer go to school. I don’t know where to start from, because our source of livelihood was in the compound of the collapsed building as we used to supply drinks, but everything got burnt. I want the government to come to our aid.”
We attended to 56 victims – Navy hospital
The acting Commander of the hospital, Abubakar Aliyu, told PUNCH Metro that one of the victims, who was admitted in the Intensive Care Unit, suffered 50 per cent burns, adding that one of the pupils admitted had been discharged.
Aliyu stated, “Around 9am on Sunday, we heard a loud sound and about 30 minutes later, we received the first set of victims. The initial number was six and while we were treating those, we received another set and at the end of the day, we attended to about 56 victims.”
Landlords suspect bomb blast
Meanwhile, the Landlords Association of the Soba Ado Community has called on the Federal Government to order an investigation into the incident and contribute the relief fund set up by the Lagos State Government.
The association also alleged that the incident was probably caused by a bomb explosion.
The representative of the association, Chime Umadim, who spoke during a press conference on Tuesday, said the claim by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation that the explosion was caused by a truck that hit a stack of gas cylinders was a deliberate attempt to suppress the truth.
He said, “The submission of the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mele Kyari, that the blast was caused by some gas depots close to the corporation’s pipeline right of way is totally false and a deliberate calculation to suppress the fact of what actually caused the blast, which we suspect and are very much convinced was a bomb detonated on the pipeline, which caused the unprecedented blast and loss of lives and damage to property.
“Suffice to say that at no time has pipeline explosion caused the type of heavy blast that resonated far beyond the immediate communities and left in its wake shattered windows and roofs of houses in the area.
“We therefore call on the Lagos State Government and the Federal Government to set up a high-powered fact– finding committee to unravel the immediate and remote causes of this national disaster with a view to preventing a reoccurrence.”
FG to take over community
The acting Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Federal Housing Authority, Umaru Buntu, during an assessment tour of the area on Tuesday, said the Federal Government planned to acquire the land in the community.
He stated that the Federal Government had acquired the land from the Ojo Military Cantonment to the International Trade Fair Complex in 1973.
He said, “The Amuwo Odofin people are claiming ownership, while the government acquired this land a long time ago. The land spread to the Ojo Cantonment up to the International Trade Fair Complex area, but over time, the family had been selling the land to unsuspecting members of the public.
“The government is coming back to take charge; a task force has been constituted by the Federal Government and the Lagos State Government is working with us to sanitise this place after proper investigation has been done and decisions are taken for the government to approve.
“Most of the landowners here did not buy from the FHA, and if they did, let them bring the title documents that they have. They don’t have any title with us. The place kept expanding and the family kept selling to unsuspecting members of the public and they don’t have anything to show for it. The Federal Government acquired the land as far back as 1973 and we have the official gazette concerning this land.”
CAN asks FG to support relief fund
Meanwhile, the Christian Association of Nigeria has called on the Federal Government to support the N2bn relief fund set up by the Lagos State Government for the victims of the explosion.
CAN said on Tuesday that the federal and state governments must not relent in their investigation of the incident, noting that “necessary disciplinary action must be taken if the disaster has connection with an official act of negligence.”
The CAN President, Dr Samson Ayokunle, stated these in a statement and expressed satisfaction with the steps taken so far by the state government.
He said, “It is our position that both the federal and the Lagos State governments should investigate the disaster with a view to discovering the remote and immediate causes of the incident in order to prevent a future reoccurrence of the disaster anywhere in the country.
“The outcome of the investigation will, as well, allow necessary disciplinary action to be taken; that is, if it is found that the avoidable disaster has any connection with official act of negligence, complicity or criminality. The life of every citizen of this country is too precious to be wasted in this way.
“CAN commends Governor Sanwo-Olu for the immediate setting up of the N2bn relief fund to cushion the effects of the disaster on all the victims. We call on the Federal Government to support the laudable action. The necessary intervention of corporate bodies is equally crucial at this moment so as to compliment the Lagos State Government’s efforts.”
Senate probes incident
The Senate, on Tuesday, launched an investigation into the incident.
The resolution of the Red Chamber followed a motion moved by the senator representing Lagos West, Solomon Adeola, on the urgent need to investigate the explosion.
The lawmakers also encouraged themselves and well-meaning Nigerians to contribute to the N2bn relief fund launched by the state government.
The Senate directed its committees on Petroleum Downstream, Gas Resources and Petroleum Upstream to investigate the remote and immediate causes of the explosion.
It asked the joint panel to carry out an extensive investigation with a view to preventing a reoccurrence of the incident and report back in two weeks
The upper chamber observed a minutes silence in honour of the innocent Nigerians, who lost their lives to the tragedy.
It also resolved to write a condolence letter to the people and the government of Lagos State.
It equally directed the National Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and the Social Development to immediately send relief materials to the victims and offset the medical bills of those in hospitals.
The Senate also urged the Federal Government and members of the National Assembly to donate to the relief fund.
Punch
