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Explosion at Obasanjo Library Not Bomb, Say Police
One person has been confirmed dead in an explosion at the Olúségun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The explosion occurred around 11am on Thursday at the Marcque Event Centre within the library.
It was gathered that routine cleaning was being done when one of the gas cylinders at the event centre exploded.
A witness told our correspondent that some of the casualties were taken by a rescue team that arrived at the scene shortly after the incident.
The OOPL Managing Director, Vitalis Ortese, in a statement, said the explosion affected the main event marquee of the complex.
According to him, the explosion occurred when two technical vendors were conducting routine servicing of the air conditioning units.
He said, “The explosion, which occurred around 11.04 am, unfortunately, led to the death of a technical vendor and serious injury of the second vendor.
The tragedy brings to four the number of explosions recorded in the last one week in the state.
On Tuesday, the Conference Hotel in Abeokuta owned by a former Governor, Gbenga Daniel, was hit by an explosion which killed two and injured three others.
Last Wednesday, three persons, including an infant, were burnt to death in a gas explosion that occurred in Oke-Egunyan, along the NTA Road in Abeokuta, when a technician was topping up the gas of a faulty refrigerator.
Barely 24 hours after that incident, another gas explosion occurred on Mercy Road, Panseke, Abeokuta, where a technician, Sanya Shonde, was injured, which later led to the amputation of his leg.
Raising concern over the explosions in Abeokuta, a former governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in the state, Adekunle Akinlade, and a group, Neo Black Movement of Africa, raised the alarm over alleged circulation of fake gas cylinders in the state.
Akinlade, in a statement by his media aide, Azeez Adelani, called on the state government to immediately “set up a high-powered team to investigate the source of the adulterated gas to prevent further accidents.”
Ajogun said, “The state government is worried and that is why the governor has directed that we should launch an investigation into the incidences of frequent gas explosions that we have witnessed between May 12 and today.
“But again, it is unfortunate that rumour mongers will be telling you maybe it was a bomb explosion, but there is nothing like bomb. It was just a gas explosion and we want to find out whether it was as a result of human errors or there are things technically wrong in the cylinders that they are using because we are made to understand that some cylinders do expire.”
British Prime Minister and Labour Party leader Keir Starmer on Monday announced his resignation, bringing an abrupt end to a premiership that began with Labour’s landslide general election victory in July 2024.
Starmer made the announcement in a statement outside 10 Downing Street, where he reflected on his time in office and defended his record in government.
“Every decision I have made has been about putting the country I love first,” Starmer said as he confirmed he would step down as both prime minister and leader of the governing Labour Party.
The resignation marks a dramatic political development in the United Kingdom, coming barely two years after Starmer led Labour back to power following more than a decade in opposition.
His departure is expected to trigger a swift leadership transition within the party at a time of heightened political uncertainty.
Addressing supporters gathered outside Downing Street, Starmer described entering No. 10 in 2024 as “the proudest moment” of his life, saying he entered politics with the goal of improving the lives of millions of people.
The outgoing prime minister also highlighted what he considered some of his key achievements, including rebuilding the Labour Party after years of internal divisions and restoring public confidence in the party’s economic and national security credentials.
Starmer said he inherited a Labour Party that was “politically, financially and morally bankrupt” and faced repeated predictions that it was finished as a political force.
He argued that his leadership helped transform the party, including efforts to tackle anti-Semitism and reposition Labour as a credible alternative government.
His resignation has immediately intensified speculation over his successor. Attention has turned to Andy Burnham, who recently won the Makerfield by-election and is due to be sworn in as a Member of Parliament.
Political observers and Labour insiders believe Burnham could emerge as the overwhelming favourite to take over the party leadership. Some party members are already discussing the possibility of a “coronation” process in which Burnham becomes the sole candidate, avoiding a prolonged leadership contest.
If that scenario unfolds, Labour could have a new leader and prime minister in place by September, around the time of the party’s annual conference.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Biodun Oyebanji, winner of the 2026 Ekiti State governorship election.
Oyebanji secured a landslide victory, polling 319,224 votes to defeat his closest challenger, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Dr. Wole Oluyede, who garnered 40,543 votes. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Dare Bejide, came a distant third with 12,872 votes.
The election, held across all 16 local government areas of the state, was overshadowed by reports of irregularities and widespread allegations of vote buying, drawing strong condemnation from observers.
The official results were announced on Sunday morning by the Chief Returning Officer, Professor Adenike Oladiji, who declared Oyebanji duly elected after meeting the constitutional requirements.
In her declaration, Professor Oladiji stated: “I, Professor Adenike Oladiji, hereby certify that I am the Returning Officer for the Ekiti State Governorship Election held on June 20, 2026, and that the election was conducted in compliance with the provisions of the law. Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress, having satisfied the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of valid votes cast, is hereby declared the winner and returned elected.”
Source: Reuters
