Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde declared that he will not ban mining operations inside his jurisdiction.
Makinde made this claim during a Wednesday appearance on a televised interview
In response to a question about whether he intended to outlaw mining in the state after the event, Makinde stated, “My approach has been a little bit different.”
“I will not go out to ban mining activities because there are people who are legally mining in the state.
“They may be international investors. You will give the impression that this is a lawless environment where we will not obey our contracts, what we signed with people.
“It is a difficult route to take. When we are swimming through the situation we have found ourselves, we will not have a knee-jerk reaction to the issue.”
The areas affected by the incident include Bodija, Agbowo, Eleyele, and Orogun.
The governor had since blamed illegal miners, who stored explosive devices in one of the buildings in Bodija for causing the explosion.
But he said that his government was on top of the situation, as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu moved to help the state.
Makinde added that his government had provided temporary shelters for the victims and their families.
