Some residents of Abule Ado, the epicentre of the explosion that rocked Lagos Sunday morning have found their voice at last after the shock and fright inflicted on them by the bomb-like explosion which impact was felt in remote parts of Lagos.

One of the residents, Mr. Joseph Ufoegbune, a car dealer, narrated how he and his family escaped the deadly explosion. He tells the story:

“I had a slight disagreement with my wife this morning over our last daughter. Because of that I got angry and did not want to go to church with them, but my wife persuaded me and we made up. But I insisted I was hungry and would like to have my breakfast before going, again she petted me to skip breakfast because we were already running late, so we left for church happily.

“Where we park our car is the place the explosion took place. Because that place was well paved with interlocking tile, some residents of our street usually park there as the street is always water-logged. We drove off to church and we were just about settling down when we heard the bang.

“Many of us suspect that the explosion came from an NNPC pipeline that was fixed around December last year. There is NNPC pipeline along that area and they usually come around to do one or two things there. They worked on it late last year.

“The fire started first and smoke was rising up before the main explosion which trapped many people in their homes. Many people died including a newly-wedded man and his pregnant wife. Their wedding was barely six months ago and the man is said to be the only son of his patents but they died. Some others were trapped in their buildings which collapsed on them.

“A family had just entered their vehicle to drive off to church when the explosion happened. They all died in the car, burnt. Many vehicles were either burnt or squeezed. It is a disaster. I lack words to say what really happened. What if I did not go to church with my family or what if we were still in the car when the explosion happened?

“The explosion was so loud that up to 20 houses away from the real scene lost their roofs, doors squeezed and inmates thrown down by the sheer force of the explosion.”

The headquarters of the  Lagos Province 3 of the Redeemed Church of God (RCCG) located on 24 Road,  Festac Town, Lagos, is among over 70 buildings affected by a pipeline explosion that occurred in the area on Sunday morning.

The explosion which occurred more than a kilometre away from the church premises, shattered its glass windows, injuring worshippers.

A parish of the First Baptist Church near the RCCG parish also lost a part of its roof to the explosion.

The roof of a parish of the Living  Faith Church (Winners Chapel)  located at 7th Avenue, Festac Town, was also blown off by the explosion which equally  shattered the roof of the Ark Parish of the RCCG at 1st Avenue, many kilometers away from the explosion  scene.

The Bethel Secondary School, a boarding school owned by the Catholic Church in Abule Ado, was brought down by the explosion, with many of its students injured and some feared dead.

Many other buildings very far from the explosion scene in Abule Ado, Festac Extension in Amuwo Odofin LGA, were also brought down while many others shook during the explosion that threw thousands of residents in panic and confusion.

The Odic Plaza, a motor parts mall and warehouse, Bush Bar Hotel, Green Horse Plaza which houses tyres, Arch Angel Catholic Church, Chino Plaza with many goods in it, and  a mechanic village, all located inside the Trade Fair Complex, Ojo, were all hit by the explosion.

The cause of the explosion has yet to be ascertained according to the National Emergency Management Agency, which is yet to confirm the death toll.

A witness, Mrs Patience Erebogaya,  told NAN that she was preparing to go to work in a nearby hotel when the Bethel School was scattered by the explosion and injured her.

The victim said that mass celebration was going on in the catholic school when the explosion reduced the school to rubbles, trapping many students.

The state Commandant of the Security and Civil Defence Corps, Mr F. A. Adeyinka, told NAN that security personnel and other  emergency responders were working hard to bring the situation under control.

The Chairman of Amuwo Odofin LGA,  Mr Valetine Buriamoh, who was at the scene, ruled out pipeline vandalism  as the cause of the explosion.

He said that the magnitude of the damage was beyond pipeline vandalism.

He appealed to the residents to give  access  to security operatives and emergency responders to do their jobs. The fire which started at 9.00p.m  was still on as at 3.00.p.m.

-Additional report by NAN