A Professor of Geophysics at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife has debunked the explanation given by Ondo Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and the police for the deafening blast experienced early on Saturday near Akure.
Professor Adekunle Abraham Adepelumi, after leading a research team to the site said emphatically it was caused by a meteorite.
ConcourseNews first reported that the blast, which left a crater on its trail, and destroyed several buildings, was caused by a meteorite.
However, Governor Akeredolu and the Police Commissioner Undie Adie attributed the blast to an exploded truck carrying dynamites for a quarry based in Edo state.
Akeredolu even said the truck sank with the impact of the blast.
Professor Adepelumi’s team has given a scientific explanation about what really happened.
The research group did a detailed analysis of the explosion site.
Here is the summary of the report:
” My research group carried out a detailed analysis of the impact site. A circular impact crater with 21m diameter and 7.8m depth was found which suggest a natural phenomenon.
“Water was found oozing out from the edges of the crater.
“A preliminary insitu vibration, noise, seismicity, water analysis, radioactivity studies, rock and soil investigation were carried out.
“Our findings suggest that the impact of the blasting covers 1 km radius of the surroundings of the crater.
“No evidence of fire or burning of anything was found within the vicinity. No evidence of radioactivity radiation was found within the crater and immediate vicinity.
“No evidence of buried vehicle, buried ordinance or IED was found. However, crack opening that vary in thickness from 3mm to 4metres occurs on the wall of most of the buildings but not at the base of the buildings.
“Also, foreign rocks and strange metallic objects were found within the crater. Most of the destruction occurs on top and roof/ceilings of the buildings.”
Dino Melaye, former senator representing Kogi West Senatorial district, has reacted to President Muhammadu Buhari’s nationwide broadcast.
247NNU had reported that President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday placed 14 days ban on all movements within Abuja and Lagos State due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak across the world.
Reacting, Melaye, in a series of tweets on his official Twitter page on Sunday night, said it was an absurdity for President Buhari to take over the affairs of any State without the express approval of the State House of Assembly.
According to Melaye, the President acted outside his powers to restrict the movement of Nigerians without the approval of the National Assembly.
Melaye tweeted: “You will recall that I had a broadcast one week ago asking for the lockdown of Abuja and Lagos. This buttresses the fact that I support measures to contain the Coronavirus pandemic but it must be done in accordance with the law. Nigeria is practicing constitutional Democracy.
“And it is an absurdity for the President to take over the affairs of any state without d express approval of d State House of Assembly. In the Presidential broadcast today, the President did not invoke his power of Emergency as prescribed by S.305 of d Constitution of Nigeria.
“And even if invoked, it must be with the approval of the National Assembly. The President acted outside his powers to restrict movement without approval of the National Assembly. I, therefore, advise Mr. President to take appropriate constitutional steps and do the needful quickly.
“As we need lockdown. This is a very important decision but must be done in line with all democratic norms. God bless Nigeria as I pray for divine intervention from God Almighty. Only Him can rescue us.”
Thomas Schaefer, the finance minister of Germany, Hesse region, which includes Frankfurt, has been found dead. Authorities said he appears to have killed himself and the state’s governor suggested Sunday that he was in despair over the fallout from the coronavirus crisis.
The body of Thomas Schaefer, a 54-year-old member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union, was found Saturday on railway tracks at Hochheim, near Frankfurt.
Police and prosecutors said that factors including questioning of witnesses and their own observations at the scene led them to conclude that Schaefer killed himself.
State governor Volker Bouffier linked Schaefer’s death to the virus crisis on Sunday. Bouffier said Schaefer was worried about “whether it would be possible to succeed in fulfilling the population’s huge expectations, particularly of financial help.”
“I have to assume that these worries overwhelmed him,” Bouffier said. “He apparently couldn’t find a way out. He was in despair and left us.”
Germany’s federal and state governments have drawn up huge aid packages to cushion the blow of largely shutting down public life to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Schaefer had been Hesse’s state finance minister for a decade.
Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday imposed 14-day curfew on Lagos and Ogun States, as well as the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, with effect from 11pm on Monday.
The president, in a nationwide broadcast said the decision was taken based on the advice of the Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, NCDC.
“I am directing the cessation of all movements in Lagos and the FCT for an initial period of 14 days with effect from 11pm on Monday, 30th March 2020. This restriction will also apply to Ogun State due to its close proximity to Lagos and the high traffic between the two States.
“All citizens in these areas are to stay in their homes. Travel to or from other states should be postponed. All businesses and offices within these locations should be fully closed during this period. The Governors of Lagos and Ogun States as well as the Minister of the FCT have been notified. Furthermore, heads of security and intelligence agencies have also been briefed.
“We will use this containment period to identify, trace and isolate all individuals that have come into contact with confirmed cases. We will ensure the treatment of confirmed cases while restricting further spread to other States,” he said.
According to Buhari, this order did not apply to hospitals and all related medical establishments as well as organizations in health care related manufacturing and distribution.
He added that commercial establishments such as food processing, distribution and retail companies; petroleum distribution and retail entities, power generation, transmission and distribution companies and private security companies are also exempted, adding that although these establishments were exempted, access would be restricted and monitored.
“Workers in telecommunication companies, broadcasters, print and electronic media staff who can prove they are unable to work from home are also exempted.
“All seaports in Lagos shall remain operational in accordance with the guidelines I issued earlier. Vehicles and drivers conveying essential cargoes from these Ports to other parts of the country will be screened thoroughly before departure by the Ports Health Authority.
“Furthermore, all vehicles conveying food and other essential humanitarian items into these locations from other parts of the country will also be screened thoroughly before they are allowed to enter these restricted areas.
“Accordingly, the Hon. Minister of Health is hereby directed to redeploy all Port Health Authority employees previously stationed in the Lagos and Abuja Airports to key roads that serve as entry and exit points to these restricted zones.
“Movements of all passenger aircraft, both commercial and private jets, are hereby suspended. Special permits will be issued on a needs basis. We are fully aware that such measures will cause much hardship and inconvenience to many citizens. But this is a matter of life and death, if we look at the dreadful daily toll of deaths in Italy, France and Spain.
“However, we must all see this as our national and patriotic duty to control and contain the spread of this virus. I will therefore ask all of us affected by this order to put aside our personal comfort to safeguard ourselves and fellow human beings. This common enemy can only be controlled if we all come together and obey scientific and medical advice,” he said.
Buhari said as the nation remained ready to enforce these measures, “we should see this as our individual contribution in the war against COVID-19. Many other countries have taken far stricter measures in a bid to control the spread of the virus with positive results.
“For residents of satellite and commuter towns and communities around Lagos and Abuja whose livelihoods will surely be affected by some of these restrictive measures, we shall deploy relief materials to ease their pains in the coming weeks.
“Furthermore, although schools are closed, I have instructed the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development to work with State Governments in developing a strategy on how to sustain the school feeding programme during this period without compromising our social distancing policies. The Minister will be contacting the affected States and agree on detailed next steps.
“Furthermore, I have directed that a three month repayment moratorium for all TraderMoni, MarketMoni and FarmerMoni loans be implemented with immediate effect. I have also directed that a similar moratorium be given to all Federal Government funded loans issued by the Bank of Industry, Bank of Agriculture and the Nigeria Export Import Bank.”
Actress, Peggy Onah, has urged ladies not to allow self-isolation and loneliness make them spread their legs for men, as the coronavirus battle rages on.
Speaking in an interview with Tontrends, she said, “Ladies, stop spreading your legs for every fine boy or man that comes your way because of self-isolation or quarantine. Even if you want to get down with your man, make sure you use protection. Remember that no man wants a liability.
“As for men, don’t go about sleeping around with any woman you see. Try to be in control and don’t forget to use protection because you won’t want to bring a child you’re not ready for into the world.”
Onah also maintained that she hadn’t been lonely despite being home alone. She said, “I am not lonely. My drinks, television and games keep me company. I can’t be lonely when I have all the things I need at home.
“However, it’s true that every woman needs a man’s touch. I love being touched and pampered. I am in a relationship and my man understands that we need to be away from each other till the coronavirus pandemic blows over. I feel bad but life comes first. As soon as this whole crisis is over, me and my man will take a ‘baecation’ so we can make it up for the moments we were not together. I am really looking forward to that.”
The actress also urged couples who are away from one another to resist any form of temptation. She added, “Men, stay faithful to your wives if you’re married. And if single, date one person at a time. This isolation period is just for a while. Both men and women should learn to manage it because life has no duplicate. Being on quarantine isn’t a reason to leave one’s wife or husband.”
Two nurses and a doctor have been confirmed to have tested positive for Coronavirus at a hospital in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
The health workers, who are staff of a government hospital in Abuja, were part of medical personnel that attended to an infected person brought into the hospital.
A senior medical worker at the hospital told Sahara Reporters that, “The patient was rushed to the hospital and as our job demands, we have to save life first and that was what we did.
“The person was attended to and stabilised by the medical team.
“A test was soon conducted and the result came out positive.
“The hospital thereafter asked all those who attended to the patient to undergo tests to determine their status and at the end of the day, the three tested positive for the virus.
“They are currently in isolation at the Gwagwalada Specialist Hospital.”
Speaking further, the senior health worker lamented the lack of quality Personal Protective Equipment for them, adding that government must invest in the protection of health workers at the frontline of the battle against the virus.
He said, “The unfortunate thing is that the government is not providing us with what to work with. It is sad that our PPE are not up to the world standard and can be penetrated by viruses.
“Some of us (health workers) have to use our personal funds to purchase gloves as we do not trust the ones government supplied.
“Nigerians should please remember us in their prayers and government should provide us with what we really need to work.”
Nigeria currently has 81 confirmed cases of Coronavirus and one recorded death.
According to the diplomatic community, infections could rise to more than 10,000 in the coming weeks as there are at least 5,000 persons, who had come in contact with infected persons in Nigeria already.
A report by the Nigerian Tribune indicates that no fewer than 100 residential buildings, school, churches were destroyed by an explosion suspected to be bomb blast in Akure, the Ondo state capital, on the morning of Saturday, March 28.
ConcourseNews gathered that the blast which occurred in the early hours of Saturday, March 28, cut off the ever-busy Akure /Owo road while many people were said to be injured.
According to the report, the incident which happened less than a kilometre to Akure Airport, affected many residents of Eleyowo community, destroying completely a church and a school in the area.
Many people who lived within the church premises were said to be injured while some were rescued by the people of the community.
The school with boarding facilities was destroyed beyond repair with roofs of all the buildings blown off.
The spot at which the bomb or blast happened cut off the road, hindering vehicular movement.
The Coronavirus pandemic is one that is currently affecting the whole world and shutting down global systems as it continues to spread daily.
In the past week, the head pastor of Synagogue Church of Nations, TB Joshua, was trending in the Nigerian social media space over his prophecy that by March 27th, 2020, the Coronavirus will have ended.
As a result of this, on Friday, which was the 27th, many lambasted the pastor as the virus did not end, in fact, the number of confirmed cases in Nigeria jumped from 70 to 81 between Thursday night and Friday evening.
The pastor however was not phased by the backlash and has evidenced truth in his prophesy by referring to the situation report in Wuhan where residents are already going back to their normal activities as they have reported no new case of the virus. Wuhan, a metropolis in China, was the birthplace of the COVID-19 and many have referred to the scourge as the “Wuhan Virus”
An Islamic cleric based in Australia, Mohammad Tawhidi popularly known as ‘Imam of Peace’ yesterday slammed President Buhari in a series of posts that rapidly went viral.
In reaction to his tirade which continued till this morning where he blamed the President for the Boko Haram attack that left 47 soldiers dead, the Abule-Ado explosion in Lagos as well as the explosion that rocked Akure early this morning, some loyalists to Buhari began to trend the hashtag #Imamofpiss, an alteration to Tawhidi’s #ImamofPeace signature.
In order to discredit him, a press release from the Australian order of Imams denouncing Tawhidi as well as an alleged nude picture of his has been trending online.
