The Malian suspected to be the owner of Ground Zero Building, where explosives allegedly stockpiled led to the explosion that rocked Ibadan, Oyo State, Alhaji Sawane Youssouf, has said he neither owned nor rented the house in question for any activity.
Youssouf, in a statement he signed and titled ‘Bodija Explosion: My Own Side of the Story” and made available to REPORTERS AT LARGE in Ibadan on Wednesday, described the incident as unfortunate and his activities as a miner as legal.
He commiserated with victims of the incident and the Oyo State government while denying ownership of the building where explosives were allegedly stockpiled.
He said, “I felt the need to, once again, state my side of the story to clear the public’s minds about my alleged involvement in the sad occurrence.
“Insinuations are rife that I am the owner of the Ground Zero building, where the explosives that led to the explosion were stockpiled and warehoused before the incident.”
Youssouf explained, “Though I live in Ibadan, I have never rented or owned a house at Dejo Oyelese Avenue, Bodija Ibadan, where the incident happened. I also don’t have anything to do with the explosives that led to the huge loss of human lives and the collateral destruction of property at the scene of the incident.”
He then appealed to the state government, security agencies, and other appropriate authorities to beam their searchlight further to reveal the identity of the real owner(s) of the building and the explosives that led to the explosion on January 16, 2024.
Meanwhile, Youssouf disclosed his availability and readiness to help the security agencies during further investigation into the sad incident.
