The cause of the explosion in Kogi which happened hours before President Muhammadu Buhari arrived to commission some projects in the state was not immediately clear.
By Jeffrey Agbo
No fewer than three persons have been killed following an explosion on Thursday morning in the Okene area of Kogi State.
The incident occurred at the Oyinoyi’s Palace in Okenne Local Government Area just hours before President Muhammadu Buhari arrives to commission some projects in the state.
The Anti-Bomb Unit of the Nigeria Police Force has been deployed in the area.
The cause of the explosion was not immediately clear.
But further reporting by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) after our initial report said the the explosion, which occurred on Thursday morning in Okene, claimed no fewer than four lives, according to police report.
NAN reports that the explosion occurred at about 9 a.m.
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It occurred near the wall of the second gate of the palace of the Ohinoyi of Ibira on Kuroko road, Okene.
A vehicle and two motorcycles were also burnt in the explosion.
An eyewitness said the bomb exploded from the affected vehicle and the motorcyclists, killing the two cyclists instantly.
The bodies of the dead persons were in the scene of the explosion even as the security operatives sealed off the area.
“I was in the house when I had a loud explosion, by the time I came out, I saw a vehicle on fire burning along with two motorcycles close to the second gate of the Ohinoyi’s palace.
“The explosion was so massive as three bodies were laying on the ground around the palace,” an eyewitness said.
The witness expressed concern that the explosion occurred when President Muhammadu Buhari was expected to arrive in Okene to commission some legacy projects of Gov. Yahaya Bello.
Some of the projects to be commissioned include Reference Hospital, Confluence University of Technology, Ganaja Flyover and some road projects.
SP Williams Ovye-Aya, the Kogi Police Command’s spokesman, who confirmed the incident, described the incident as “very unfortunate” and “shocking.”
Ovye-Aya said that the police was on top of the situation as security operatives had already sealed off the area.
He said that investigation into the blast had begun.