Residents of the Offa community in Kwara State were thrown into panic as midnight explosions hit parts of the town and destroyed several buildings on Thursday.
Residents, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity out of fear for their personal safety, said the explosions occurred at two locations in the town, affecting several buildings in the Eid area and the Solid Worth Hotel.
“The explosion truly occurred,” a resident said. “No fewer than five buildings were completely destroyed. I don’t know if they were casualties, though.”
Another resident said the incident occurred late in the night, saying nobody was killed in the explosion.
“I was at the scene this morning. The hotel was badly damaged. Another explosion happened around the prayer ground near Ijagbo in Offa. But nobody was killed in the attack,” he explained.
The source and nature of the explosion remained unclear as of the time of filing this report.
Confirming the development, the Chief Press Secretary to the Executive Chairman of Offa Local Government, Abiola Azeez Babatunde, said the council was aware of reports of a suspected ordnance-related incident around the Offa Yidi praying ground.
In a statement, the local government disclosed that security agencies had secured the affected areas and launched investigations into the explosions. It also revealed that the Executive Chairman of Offa Local Government Area, Hon. Suleiman Olatunji Omituntun, visited the scene shortly after the incident to assess the situation.
The council chairman urged residents to remain calm, vigilant and law-abiding, advising them to rely on credible and official sources for information to avoid panic.
The explosions occurred barely hours after President Donald Trump announced the U.S. airstrikes in Sokoto.
“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even centuries!” Mr Trump said in a statement on Truth Social late on Thursday.
