The Oyo State Government has approved the sum of ₦4.5 billion as financial support for victims and survivors of the devastating Bodija explosion that occurred on January 16, 2024.
The approval was announced on Wednesday following a State Executive Council meeting held at the Governor’s Office in Ibadan. The explosion, which was triggered by a water gel-type explosive stored illegally in a residential building, claimed at least five lives, injured 78, and affected a total of 335 people. Significant property damage was recorded, including 58 houses, 16 businesses, three schools, religious centres, and even parts of the University College Hospital.
Governor Seyi Makinde had inaugurated a 10-man Relief Fund Management Committee, led by Deputy Governor Bayo Lawal, to coordinate the disbursement process. The committee’s recommendations formed the basis of the ₦4.5bn compensation package.
Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, disclosed that the approved fund is in addition to over ₦200 million previously spent by the state government on emergency accommodation, hospital care, feeding, and security in the wake of the disaster.
Further actions approved by the council include the revocation of the title of two properties near the explosion site on Adeyi Avenue. The government plans to erect a monument on the reclaimed land in memory of the victims.
The council also denounced what it termed “mischievous lies and disinformation” allegedly spread by individuals claiming to represent Bodija residents, insisting that the state’s response has been thorough and measured.
Despite these efforts, victims have voiced growing frustration over the delay in disbursing the promised funds. In a joint statement titled “Bodija Community Still in Ashes: A Response to Oyo State Government”, community leaders expressed disappointment that, nearly three months after the committee submitted its report, no compensation had reached affected residents.
Signed by President of the Bodija Estate Residents’ Association, Muyiwa Bamgbose, and Vigilante Group Chair, Iyiola Oladokun, the statement said, “Today, 473 days later, Bodija remains in ashes… Many now live without homes, their dignity diminished, and have been unfairly portrayed as ungrateful.”
The state government, meanwhile, has pledged to return adjoining properties near the blast site to owners for reconstruction, with structural guidance provided by government-paid engineers. It also affirmed its commitment to prosecuting suspects linked to the illegal storage of explosives, some of whom are currently facing charges while others remain at large.
Governor Makinde has promised that the fund will be disbursed swiftly, and justice delivered to victims and the community.
