By Ayomide Otitoju
The Olofa of Offa, Oba Muftahu Gbadamosi, has appealed to residents to remain calm and continue their end-of-year celebrations following an explosion that destroyed parts of three buildings in the town. The incident occurred late Thursday night along the Offa-Ijagbo road, injuring about five people, including a couple and their young daughter.
A local resident, Victoria Macharty, whose house was damaged, described hearing an unusual humming noise before an object fell on her building around 10 pm. “I don’t know exactly what happened. Something landed on the ground. I can’t really describe it,” she said. She added that authorities, including the local government chairman and an anti-bomb unit, collected items from the site, including a small box, rims, and pieces of iron. Damages included a fence, the house, and two windows.
Oba Gbadamosi told Channels Television that Offa was not targeted by any military operation. “There was an explosion yesterday that destroyed about three houses, but there was no casualty. It happened around midnight,” he said. “It was not targeted at Offa. It was just like a stray bullet. I want them to calm down and go about their Christmas and New Year celebrations in peace. Nobody is a target.”
The explosion followed a US-led strike on Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist enclaves in Sokoto State. Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said 16 GPS-guided precision munitions were deployed using MQ-9 Reaper drones in the joint Nigeria–US operation. Debris from the munitions fell in Jabo, Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto, and in Offa, near a hotel, but no civilian casualties were reported. Authorities promptly secured the affected areas.
The Olofa urged residents not to panic, stressing that the incident was accidental and that the community was not under threat.
