Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has urged residents to steer clear of Saturday’s explosion site at Ilu Abo on the Akure-Owo expressway.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a truck laden with dynamites being transported to Edo from Lagos State had developed a fault and exploded around 1 am.
The governor, who visited the scene of the explosion on Saturday, said the destruction caused by the explosion could only be imagined, advising residents to allow the bomb squad to do its job.
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“I have had a thorough briefing from the head of our security agencies and the preliminary reports received was that it was an accidental discharge of explosives that were in transit through Ondo state to another state where it was needed.
“We will advise all citizens, all residents of Ondo State, not to come near this place at all, they should vacate and move out of these premises.
“As we are told, the vehicle that was carrying these explosives is buried in the crater it created, so we never know what number of explosives are left.
“Let everybody give the police, the bomb squad, space to do their work and we will know what to do,” he said.
He urged residents not to forget that the coronavirus was still raging, urging residents to avoid crowded areas.
“Right here where we are standing, we are not safe, tell the people to move back and allow police to bring out the vehicle that is buried there,” he said.
No casualty had been reported as at the time of filing this report.