Residents of Offa community in Kwara State were thrown into panic on Thursday night after explosions rocked parts of the town, destroying several buildings.
The explosions reportedly occurred around midnight at two different locations, including the Eid area and the Solid Worth Hotel, causing significant damage to property.
Residents who spoke to journalists on condition of anonymity, citing security concerns, confirmed the incident. One of them said no fewer than five buildings were completely destroyed, though he could not immediately confirm whether there were casualties.
“The explosion truly occurred. At least five buildings were completely destroyed. I don’t know if there were casualties,” the resident said.
Another resident told reporters that while the explosions caused serious damage, no lives were lost. He said the hotel was badly affected, adding that another explosion occurred near a prayer ground around Ijagbo in Offa.
“I was at the scene this morning. The hotel was badly damaged. Another explosion happened around the prayer ground near Ijagbo, but nobody was killed,” he said.
As of the time of filing this report, the source and nature of the explosions remained unclear.
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Confirming the development, the Chief Press Secretary to the Executive Chairman of Offa Local Government Area, 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 said security agencies had secured the affected areas and commenced investigations to determine the cause of the explosions. It also disclosed that the Executive Chairman of Offa Local Government Area, Hon. Suleiman Olatunji Omituntun, visited the scene shortly after the incident to assess the level of damage.
The council chairman urged residents to remain calm, vigilant, and law-abiding, advising them to rely on credible and official sources of information to avoid unnecessary panic.
The explosions occurred just hours after United States President Donald Trump announced US airstrikes against terrorist targets in Sokoto State.
In a statement posted on Truth Social late Thursday, President Trump said the strikes targeted ISIS militants operating in Northwest Nigeria, accusing the group of carrying out deadly attacks against innocent civilians.