Ibadan Explosion: They’re Malians – Residents reveal identities of illegal miners

• The law is being enforced to catch illegal miners, while some residents claim the owner of the building where explosives were reportedly stored is a Malian.

Residents of Ibadan, Oyo State’s capital, have disclosed the identity of the illegal miners responsible for the explosion that shook the city on Tuesday, January 16, 2023.

The tragedy, which caused shock and terror among locals, killed three individuals and wounded numerous more.

On Wednesday morning, the state’s governor, Seyi Makinde, stated that the explosion was caused by illegal miners who had stockpiled explosives in a building on Dejo Oyelese Close in Ibadan’s Bodija district.

According to him, a preliminary examination found that the explosion was caused by explosives stockpiled by illegal miners in a home in the city’s Bodija neighborhood.

A few hours following the governor’s response on the incident, several Nigerians challenged both the federal and state administrations to fish out the illegal miners and make them face the wrath of the law.

Meanwhile, in a new development, some residents said the owner of the building where the explosives were reportedly stored is a Malian.

“The owner of the building is Malian and he has been living there for long; he didn’t just move there. He has a Malian wife and also has a Yoruba wife. It is the family that engages in mining,” one of the sources said.

Another resident Muideen Olalekan Olagunju posted on his Facebook page saying he the explosion is the handiwork of a Malian immigrant engaged in mining operations in the Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State.

He gave his name as Sawane Youssouf. He claimed Youssouf is one of the directors of SDYB International Company Nigeria Limited with registration no 511184.

He further said that people he talked to revealed that Sawane has a lot of Malian boys working under him in the Bodija area who might have possibly stored the explosive that exploded on Tuesday.

Olagunju who is the Lead Counsel at M.O. Olagunju & Co, Alatede Chambers wrote on his Facebook page; “I can authoritatively inform that the explosion in Ibadan is the handiwork of a Malian immigrant engaged in mining operations in the Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State. His name is SAWANE YOUSSOUF.

“He has been stockpiling explosives in a house (unknown if he owns it or if he rented it) for years. These explosives he stored for the purpose of his extensive mining business. How he was able to do that in a residential estate with few eyebrows raised is a failure of intelligence at both government and community levels. To think the location is just a stone throw from the Government Secretariat is damning.

“His own negligent stupidity as well as government’s taciturn approach to security of lives and properties have caused unnecessary deaths, injuries and property damage.

“I searched the website of the Corporate Affairs Commission to find that SAWANE YOUSSOUF incorporated a company on May 17, 2004 called SDYB International Company Nigeria Limited with RC 511184. This is the list of directors:
1) Sawane Youssouf
2) Darame Ibrahima
3) Yattara Ibrahim
4) Bakare Hakeem Oladimeji

“By their names, three of the four directors hail from Mali.
People I talked to revealed that Sawane has a lot of Malian boys working under him in the Bodija area. It is reported each one of them might have explosives in the various rented accommodation they stay in.

“The government must immediately determine where his boys live and take proper charge of explosives in their possession. I have credible information also that Sawane used police, DSS and other security operatives to move his explosives and other logistics. It shows complicity.

“It is unclear Sawane was in the house when the explosion occurred. If he was, I doubt he would survive the magnitude of the blast. Everything within 100 metres radius of the blast site is flattened.

Lots of documents were found strewn on the grounds of surrounding houses that reveal Sawane has been involved in several petitions to the police, particularly from the mining host communities in Iwajowa Local Government Area of Oyo State. The petitions main gist is cheating.

Sawane is not paying his dues to the communities. I saw documents pertaining to a civil suit in court. If I could find the documents on the ground, hold them and read them, what exactly is the job of security operatives at the scene? Important evidence are being lost as every Tom, Dick and Harry is finding and taking the documents away.

“Questions will be asked about the Landlords Association in Adeyi, New Bodija. Questions will be asked about intelligence gathering by security outfits. Questions will be asked about how a Malian has such latitude to possess large caches of explosives and store them in his residence.

“Questions will be asked about our lack of preparedness for emergency situations.