Unidentified person has been killed after explosion rocked a popular pharmaceutical company in the Moore area of Ile Ife, Osun State, destroying pharmaceutical products worth millions of naira on Saturday.
The explosion which happened around 10.30pm, was said to have affected some of the adjoining buildings, while the area was cordoned off by the police.
Residents told journalists that an improvised explosive device was planted in the building.
A resident, who identified himself only as Tope, told PUNCH Metro that one victim was trapped in the rubble.
Tope said the victim, who he claimed was a relative of the owner of the building, had been badly injured when he was eventually removed by emergency management workers.
He added that the victim was rushed to the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex where he died on Sunday.
Another resident, Tola, said, “The building came down around 10pm on Saturday. The owner of the building died in November 2017 and there was a crisis on the sharing of his property, which included the building.
“The workers at the pharmaceutical company closed around 8.30pm and we learnt that somebody sneaked into the building and planted the explosive.
“The injured man was taken to the OAUTHC where he died from the injuries he sustained. The victim was one of the owner’s family members.”
The Police Public Relations Officer in Osun State, Mrs. Folasade Odoro, when contacted on the telephone, promised to find out and call back.
However, she posted a situation report on aWhatsapp platform where she said the cause of the incident had yet to be ascertained.
The Public Relations Officer of the OAUTHC, Kemi Fasooto, could not be reached to confirm if anybody was brought to the hospital from the collapsed building.
The Chief Medical Director of the OAUTHC, Prof. Victor Adetiloye, said he could not confirm or deny if any victim was brought to the hospital because he had yet to be briefed on the incident.
Speaking to journalists after a church service to celebrate the 79th birthday of an industrialist, Dr. John Agboola, the monarch said, “Vanity upon vanity; the owner of the building is late. The person that worked for it has left this world; it is the family members who are left that are fighting over it.”
He assured the people of Ile Ife that elders in the community would get to the root of the incident.
