Community Claims Bomb Explosion Cuts Off Boy’s Hand In Ogun, Police Disagree

Residents of Agbado community in the Ifo Local Government
Area of Ogun State and Police have disagreed about an occurrence that happened
in the community over the weekend. According to eyewitnesses and residents of
the community, a 17-year old teenager picked up a round object he found on the
road and in no time the object exploded and cut of his hand and also injured
one of his legs. Residents say the explosion was so loud that it shook the
community and they wonder how the boy survived. Police are however saying the occurrence
remains a mystery because no object found around the scene suggests it was a
bomb. The full story by Punch after the cut.

An explosion has shattered the arm of a teenager, Olawale
Adekanbi, and caused confusion at the Agbado community in the Ifo Local
Government Area of Ogun State.

The 17-year-old was said to be running an errand for his
parents and saw a round object on the road which he reportedly kicked with his
foot.

The Punch learnt that as the victim approached the main
road, he decided to pick the object with his hand.

Soon after he did, the object exploded.

The victim’s palm was reportedly shattered, while he also
sustained injuries in the legs.

The incident happened on Saturday on Adiyan Road, Rafco bus
stop, in the Agbado area.

Adekanbi, who is on admission at Dr. Happiness clinic, a
local medical facility in the area, said he was returning from the errand when
he found a “ball” and decided to play with it.

He said, “When I woke up on Saturday, my dad asked me to run
an errand for him. When I was retuning, around 9am, I saw something that looked
like a ball on the road and I started kicking it and playing with it.

“When I approached the main road and saw many vehicles on
the road, I decided to pick it up. As I picked it, it exploded in my hand and
shattered my palm.”

Our correspondent learnt that a crowd of people, who heard
the blast, gathered round the victim.

His parents were said to have been alerted, and they rushed
to the scene and took him to the hospital.

The victim’s mother, Wunmi Adekanbi, said she also heard the
deafening noise of the explosion.

She said, “We were all in the sitting room that morning when
his dad said the television was faulty and since it was election period, there
was need to know what was going on.

“His dad said he should call the technician that would
repair the TV.

“Some minutes later, we heard a blast and we were all
frightened. People started screaming my son’s name and I rushed there. When I
got there, his hand was gone.”

A resident, Opeifa Toriola, who said his office was far from
the scene of the incident, told our correspondent the explosion shook the area,
wondering how the victim survived the attack.

“My office is very far from where the explosion happened,
but it shook everywhere. It still beats my imagination how he did not die. His
palm was cut off, and he also sustained injuries in different parts of his
body,” he said.

The traditional ruler of the community, Alhaji Lateef
Adewale, said he believed it was a bomb explosion.

He said, “When I arrived at the scene and saw the victim, I
knew it was not just an ordinary explosion. I have been a traditional ruler
here for about 10 years and I have never witnessed this kind of thing before.
It was nothing but a bomb explosion.”

The incident was said to have been reported at the Ayinla
Police station.

The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa
Adejobi, confirmed the incident but described the explosion as “mysterious”.

He said, “We didn’t have any bomb explosion because we sent
a team to the place, led by the OC Explosive Ordinance Department of the
police, and we could not see any material, item or remnant to suggest it was a
bomb. But they are claiming it was a bomb explosion that cut off the boy’s
hand.

“Maybe it was a mysterious explosion, I cannot tell, because
we could not see any material. The Commissioner of Police has ordered that the
Divisional Police Officer and the EOD should continue to investigate the
matter.”