PDP, CAN demand special probe of Lagos explosion

Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has called for an investigation into the pipeline explosion at Abule-Ado in Amuwo Odofin Local government Area of Lagos State to forestall a future occurrence.

The CAN President, Rev. Samson Ayokunle, who made this known in a statement yesterday in Abuja, condemned the transportation of explosive devices without adequate preventive measures.

This came as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) called on President Muhammadu Buhari to visit the scene of the explosion for an on-the-sport assessment of the disaster.

Ayokunle said: “It is high time all the agencies of the government were alive to their responsibilities.”


The statement which was made available to newsmen by the Special Assistant Media and Communications to the CAN President, Rev. Bayo Oladeji, advised all road users to be careful and ensure strict adherence to all traffic rules so as not to put the lives of other road users in danger.

The statement reads in part: “CAN asks both the Federal and the Lagos State governments to investigate the disaster with a view to discovering the remote and immediate causes of the incident in order to prevent a future reoccurrence of the disaster anywhere in the country.

“The outcome of the investigation will as well allow disciplinary action to be taken against any act of negligence or criminality that caused the avoidable disaster. Human lives are too precious to be wasted in this way.”

Meanwhile, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, described it as “embarrassing lethargic approach to governance and the welfare of Nigerians”.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State yesterday presented the President with the photographs of the incident at Aso Rock.

But Ologbondiyan said with such a national calamity and attendant loss of lives and property, it was strange that Buhari did not deem it fit to personally identify with the victims through a visit, but preferred to be presented with photographs of the ugly incident.

The party spokesman said it was unfortunate that President Buhari would always wait to be reminded before taking action whenever Nigeria was confronted with critical issues that directly affected the wellbeing and security of the people.

He said: “Nigerians had expected Mr. President to always lead from the front on serious national issues, as he promised, but this had not been the case, resulting in leadership failure and myriads of security, economic, environmental and political problems that had bedevilled our nation in the last five years.”

Ologbondiyan advised the President’s handlers to immediately schedule a visit to Abule-Ado, Lagos, so that Buhari could have an on-the-spot assessment of the horrific incident in order to take corresponding action to avert a future recurrence.

He also called for a forensic investigation into the spate of explosions, particularly the Abule-Ado disaster, given the conflicting reports on the cause of the incident.