4 feared dead as explosion rocks Okene

An explosion occurred on Thursday morning in Okene, Kogi, in which no fewer than four persons are feared dead, according to police report.

Our correspondent reports that the explosion occurred at about 9 a.m.

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 that 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 laud 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 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 of the state.

Some of the projects to be commissioned include Reference Hospital, Confluence University of Technology, Ganaja Fly over 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.