Shock As ATOPCON President, Niyi Odetoye, Dies In Lagos Explosion

By Akinwale Kasali

Nigeria has lost one of its renowned Town Planners.

Niyi Odetoye, the President of the Association of Town Planning Consultants of Nigeria, ATOPCON, died in the raging fire which started when a tanker carrying gas, exploded opposite Sheraton Hotel and the multi million Naira OPIC Plaza.

Odetoye was one of the five casualties of the explosion which occurred in the early hours of Friday.

Odetoye would have clocked 47 years on Monday June 21st, 2021, but met his death in the unfortunate fire incident.

In the early hours of Friday, a fuel tanker exploded right in front of the OPIC Plaza, leading to the fatalities.  Many were injured, while 25 cars wereburnt.

Available preliminary report by the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, said that the fire was caused by a fuel tanker that exploded right in front of the Plaza, and as a result lives were lost, while some persons were seriously injured and are receiving treatment.

Odetoye, before his demise was a graduate of the Urban and Regional Planning of the Federal University of Technology, Akure. He was a major donor to his Alma Mata including the Sponsor of the Best Studio Design Award, URP.

However, the death toll that was, as at yesterday afternoon, said to be five increased to seven, as two other victims were said to have died as a result of the heavy burnt suffered in the inferno.

Lagos State Commissioner for Special Duties, Tayo Bamgbose-Martins, had earlier confirmed that

five victims died, with three victims confirmed dead at the scene of the explosion, while two others died on their way to the hospital.

Bamgbose-Martins said, “Lives were lost. We had about 13 people rescued but we understand that out of the 13 people, we’ve lost two of them which means that we’ve only rescued 11. We’ve recovered three bodies again this morning. They’ve started moving them away from here.”

Bamgbose-Martins had earlier stated that investigation was ongoing, adding that a special committee by the Lagos State Government, which has Agencies of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation as members, are working to end gas tanker and gas stations explosions in the state.

Similarly, the spokesman for the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Nosa Okunbor, revealed that five persons lost their lives in the explosion, with over 22 vehicles burnt in the inferno.

Investigations revealed that two more victims had died at the Emergency Unit of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Ikeja, following high degrees of burnt. Fatalities are now Seven.