Acounts Of Abule-Ado Explosion In Lagos And My Personal Experience In Related Matters On Monday 16th March 2020, just twenty four (24) h...
On Monday 16th March 2020, just twenty four (24) hours after the acclaimed but disastrous explosion, I undertook a visit to the scene of the incident, discovering a tremendous amount of damages recorded. The explosion and the accompanying mayhem according to eye-witness accounts went beyond what gas explosion could cause.
One of the eye witnesses stated that a big truck got stucked on the area and in the driver's bid to force it out, there was an emission of heavy white smoke released into the surrounding atmosphere. Experience however has it that pipelines are buried beneath the ground with about six (6) feet dept, such that run besides residential quarters with about fifty (50) meters distance from buildings. These are accompanied with precautionary signposts indicating that gas pipelines run through such a neighborhood.
A publicly known one is located at Ijora-Olopa besides Lagos State Water Corporation House. It is very clearly placed for all to see. It is very unbelievably appalling that such can be located within the disaster scene which a truck was claimed to have run over, causing gas spillage that resulted in such a momentous damage, without being noticed. There has been series of gas explosions in Nigeria in the past. In December 2015, there was a reported gas explosion in Nnewi, a commercial city in Anambra State. The extent of the disaster that particular incident caused can well be verified. The havoc recorded therein is quite different from this present one. It was only lost of lives that was heard of because people queued up in their rush to get gas due to Christmas festivities.
A source had it that some men were spotted working at that particular scene of the incident few days back. It was stated that a family vacated that area when it was noticed soon after, that strange smell started filling the area. This information was however not confirmed.
My personal experience from the gas explosion of 26th December 2012, at exactly 9:30am, is a pointer. There was a spark of fire within, all people ran and before I could run two (2) metres away, there was a big bang with heavy pressure and all of us found ourselves sprawling on the ground in less than 2 seconds. What actually triggered off the explosion was dynamite stocked in a store together with fire crackers popularly referred to as "knockouts". Fortunately for me amongst others on that very fateful day, we found ourselves getting up from the ground, escaping eventually to safety. The incident happened at Ojogiwa street opposite King Ado High School but the explosion damaged glasses at Mandilla. These are dynamites used in shattering stones. The pillars of the building were damaged including nearby culverts.
The point being stressed here basically is to buttress that no matter the shallowness in which gas pipelines are buried, spills cannot just easily occur as constructions were made with very strong metals. There are spillages only if there are ruptures or vandals tampering.
Some persons equally have stated that a day before the explosion, there were some strange movements as great influx of motorcycle (okada) riders were sighted within the area. Have such explosions based on previous incidents in Nigeria, ever taken place on Sundays? A source added that if the explosion had happened on a working day, most people from that region would loose quite a great number of their citizens, thereby lending credence to their projection of the incident on a Sunday.
An unverified report making it's round has it that a notable wealthy individual staying at the Trade Fair area has been fighting the government on the issue of the control of the market. He was said to be the main target as he equally died in the dastardly explosion. The explosion started just few metres away from the man's residence. The information has it that this man was about leaving for church service on that Sunday morning when he was cut down gruesomely in the explosion inferno quite beyond recognition. His remains were discovered in his badly damaged car after the incident.
It is conclusively evidential that the explosion was a well coordinated attack masterminded by some persons and not pipeline accident as people are being deceitfully made to believe.
Always Stay With The Truth!
Written by Mazi Chukwudi OKEKE
Edited by Peter Oshagwu
For Family Writers Press International
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