Ibadan Explosion: I Refuse To Ban Mining In Oyo, Says Makinde

Mining operations in Oyo State will not be prohibited, according to Governor Seyi Makinde.

On Wednesday, Makinde made this claim in an interview with Politics Today on Channels Television.

When asked if he was going to ban mining in the state following the incident, Makinde said, “My approach has been a little bit different.

“I will not go out to ban mining activities because there are people who are legally mining in the state.

“They may be international investors. You will give the impression that this is a lawless environment where we will not obey our contracts, what we signed with people.

“It is a difficult route to take. When we are swimming through the situation we have found ourselves, we will not have a knee-jerk reaction to the issue.”

The areas affected by the incident include Bodija, Agbowo, Eleyele, and Orogun.

The governor had since blamed illegal miners, who stored explosive devices in one of the buildings in Bodija for causing the explosion.

But he said that his government was on top of the situation, as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu moved to help the state.

Makinde continued by saying that the victims and their families had temporary housing provided by his government.