THREE IN COURT OVER IBADAN EXPLOSION -

Three persons were on Wednesday, arraigned before a Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State, over the January 16 explosion that rocked Adeyi Avenue, Old Bodija in the Ibadan North Local Government Area of the state.

Five people were confirmed dead, 58 houses were seriously affected and 78 persons sustained various degrees of injuries from the blast.

A woman, Ramotu Camara, 47; Ganiyu Malik, 20; and AbubakarSamasa, 64, were arraigned on a five-count.

They were accused of conspiracy to commit a felony with explosives, lethal devices, handling and use of radioactive and nuclear materials, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; an offence deemed punishable under Section 26 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

They all pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Earlier, the police prosecutor, Michael Ojeah, had told the court that Camara, Malik and Samasa were facing a five-count.

Ojeah said, “The defendants and others currently at large committed the crime about 7.30 p.m. on January 16, at Aderinola off Dejo-Oyelese Street, Adeyi Avenue, Old Bodija Ibadan, Oyo State.”

He said the defendants stored radioactive materials inside a building which exploded and led to the death of a 65-year-old woman known as BolanleBadmus and 13 others.

The defence counsel, Adeola Adebayo, asked the court for a short adjournment to file some applications.

The prosecutor, however, said, “The offence contravened the provisions of Sections 26, 42 (A) and (B), 43(1) (A) and (2) (C) 1 (A) 58 (1) (A) of the Terrorism, Prohibition and Prevention Act 2022.”

The presiding Judge, EkereteAkpan of the FHC 2, ordered that they should be remanded in the Agodi Correctional Centre till April 11 for a hearing of their bail applications.

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In a statement released after the blast in January, BON Hotel Nest Ibadan stated that its operations manager, Tunde Solomon, passed away due to a heart attack linked to the explosion near the hotel in Bodija.

A 27-year-old male, OluwatobilobaAlao, is still recovering having suffered memory loss due to the attack.

His place of work, according to his younger brother, Joseph, is the third house from where the explosion happened.

A survivor, Mr. Abiola AbduIsalam, said he jumped from a storey building on DejoOyelese Street, where the explosion happened, to save his life.