ONE person was, on Monday morning, killed and another injured as an improvised explosive device exploded under the New Bridge between Awuwo Odofin and FESTAC Town in Lagos State.
The incident, which reportedly occurred around 11.00 a.m, created serious among residents of the river bank and Amuwo Odofin community, following the devastating effect of the explosion.
The deceased was identified as Pius Oladele, popularly known as “Apase,” leader of the Association of Sand Dredgers under the bridge, while the injured victim had been identified as a police inspector.
Angry workers around the area had, immediately after the explosion, descended on the police inspector, accussing him of being responsible for the blast, which tore Apase’s body into pieces.
An assessment of the call log on the injured policeman’s mobile phone number revealed that he had, at about an hour before the incident, had a conversation with the deceased, whom he claimed gave him N5,000.
Nigerian Tribune gathered that the deceased must have been the target, as the explosion occurred at the spot where he usually sit down.
The explosion occurred barely 30 minutes after he arrived at the spot, accompanied by his wife, who reportedly escaped the explosion by whiskers.
An eyewitness, who simply identified himself as Adeola Peter, told the Nigerian Tribune that “chairman came with his wife in the new Nissan Pathfinder with the registration No LSR 957 AZ and a man, who was later identified as a policeman.”
Another eyewitness who pleaded anonymity said “the man knew that he was going to die, because on more than three occasions, he hesitated to sit at the spot where the bomb was planted.”
Jerry Oboreh, chairman of Ifesowapo Residents Association, said the blast created confusion among the residents, as they had thought that the bridge had collapsed.
Oboreh added that “when we later knew that it was a bomb, we were afraid that there might be more of such explosives around the bridge and everybody ran away, until the policemen came.”
It was discovered that some yet-to-be identified persons had programmed the explosive, which was carefully concealed in a polythene bag and connected through a cable, which runs through the river.
Chairman of Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of the state, Ayo Adewale, who visited the scene, confirmed the blast, but advised that the people should allow security operatives to conclude their investigations.
Security operatives, which included policemen, officials of State Security Services (SSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigerian Navy and others, had, as of 3.00 p.m on Monday, cordoned off the scene of the incident.
However, the state Commissioner of Police, Umar Manko, while addressing newsmen on Monday evening, denied that the incident was a bomb explosion, noting that the police in the state had commenced investigations.
The Lagos police boss described the incident as “an electric default that got to the extent of making a loud sound, which led to the death of a man and injuring a policeman.”
Manko identified the injured policeman as Akin Sunday, an inspector attached to FESTAC divisional police station, adding that he had been receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital.
“I want to state categorically that it is not a bomb explosion, but there was an electric default,” he said.
The information officer of the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA), South-West zone, Ibrahim Familoye, also confirmed that “only one person was killed and one other person injured in the explosion.”
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