• As hotel manager dies after heart attack
By Oluseye Ojo
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, on Friday visited the scene of Ibadan explosion, which claimed three lives, injured 77 persons, and affected 58 houses on Tuesday night, saying what he saw was devastating.
The Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Iyabo Yerima, accompanied him to the Dejo Oyelese Street at Bodija, Ibadan, where suspected mining explosives wreaked monumental havoc, which also extended to some parts of Ibadan, including University College Hospital, and Oyo State Government Secretariat.
Senior judges on the entourage include Justices Helen Ogunwumiju, M.A. Adegbola, Ladiran Akintola, and M.O. Ishola.
Ariwoola and his entourage also visited the house of a former deputy governor of Oyo State, Chief Iyiola Oladokun, who is a lawyer, which is among the affected houses, as well as House 40, owned a legal luminary, Chief Adeniyi Akintola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and some other places.
Ariwoola, who spoke during the visit, said: “What I saw was devastating. I don’t know who can explain it. But God says knows it all. God knew it before it happened, and only God will take care of everything. We cannot say government should come and do it, but God will assist government to assist all the families affected.”
As news of the CJN and Chief Judge’s visit to the scene of the explosion spread, social media was buzzing with messages of support and admiration for their dedication to the people.
The hashtags trending on the social media include: “#JusticeForIbadanExplosionVictims” and “#CJNSupport” for justice and assistance for those affected.
Meanwhile, the Ibadan explosion has been connected with the sudden death of the Operations Manager of BON Hotel Nest, Mr Tunde Solomon. The hotel is very close to the scene of the explosion and it is one of the badly affected structures.
The management of the hotel made this known on their Instagram Page, where they paid tribute to Solomon, saying: “We regret to inform you of the sudden passing of our beloved Operations Manager, Mr. Tunde Solomon. He suffered a heart attack on the 17th of January 2024, and it is believed that it was a consequence of the explosion that occurred on the 16th of January 2024 at Bodija.”
