The spokesperson for NEMA (South West), Ibrahim Farinloye, in a statement on Wednesday, advised residents to avoid using anything inflammable.

He said “Residents around Computer Village, Underbridge Awolowo Way, and Oba Akran axis, Anifowose Street, Medical Road must not open shops or use open naked fire for safety reasons. Distressed alert just received indicates massive leakage of gas pipeline around these areas.”

Southwest Coordinator of the agency, Ibrahim Farinloye debunked claim of the gas explosion is as a result of a bomb blast or Improvised Explosives Devices (IED).

Farilonye told newsmen that preliminary security analysis showed that an eight-tonne truck laden with core stone and parked on the pipeline, exerted too much pressure on it. The fuel which escaped from the pipeline after the pressure stayed on overnight, saturated the atmosphere, formed a whitish substance and exploded.

Also recounting how the incident occurred, a resident of the community said the truck got stuck on the pipeline overnight.

An eyewitness said “The truck stayed there for so long and with its weight on the pipeline, the fuel in the pipe which is about eight-foot deep was trying to force its way out. That was how a smoke-like substance started forming from under the truck and soon developed into a cloud that covered the entire area and then the blast”.

The distressed and stranded Nigerians were among the Voluntary Returnees who were assisted back to Nigeria by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) with the support of European Union (EU) as a special intervention were received at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Cargo Wing on arrival by Ibrahim Farinloye, the Acting Coordinator of NEMA Lagos Territorial Office on behalf of Director-General of NEMA, Engr Mustapha Maihajja.

After profiling, the 38 adult females, five female children were brought back while 109 adult males, six male children and 10 infants were among the new Returnees.