The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has set-up a special investigation team to unravel the immediate and remote cause of the explosion that occurred at Ogbese near Akure, the Ondo State capital early on Saturday 28 March.
The probe comes after an investigating team of geo-physicists from Obafemi Awolowo University debunked the police explanation for the blast.
Contrary to the police explanation that the explosion was caused by a dynamite-loaded truck which exploded, the Ife team said the explosion came from a falling meteorite from an asteroid belt.
The team led by Professor Adekunle Abraham Adepelumi said:
“The field evidence point to a conclusion that a meteoric from an asteroid belt that travels at a great speed from space impacted the location at an angle of 43 degrees created an ejecta at South-Western part. No evidence of buried vehicle, buried ordinance or IED was found”,
According to the Force Headquarters spokesman, Frank Mba, the new probe is headed by the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit, Force Headquarters, Abuja, CP Maikudi A. Shehu.
Members include police officers from the Police Bomb Disposal Squad (Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit).
The specialised arm of the Police oversees explosives and ordinance operations of the Force including controlled detonation, safe evacuation, sweeping, assessment, analysis, intelligence and investigations touching on bombs and all forms of explosives related incidents.
Mba said the investigation team will work jointly with experts from the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) – the nation’s leading Research and Development Institution that is the sole repository of all geo-scientific data.
The Agency has a state-of-the-art laboratory with the capacity and expertise to carry out a wide range of geo-scientific examinations including Laboratory/Forensic Examinations, Geochemical Analysis of Rocks, Minerals, Water, Sewage, Soil Samples and Site Investigations amongst others. The IGP hopes that with the involvement of NGSA, the quality and integrity of investigations into the explosion will be greatly enhanced.