On Christmas night, explosions rocked Offa, the headquarters of Offa Local Government Area in Kwara State, causing injuries to five individuals and damaging several buildings. The incident, occurring late Thursday night, sparked widespread panic among the residents of the ancient town. Among those who sustained serious injuries and were rushed to First Care Hospital were a woman known as Iya Ayo and her daughter, Aisha, who were reportedly asleep when the explosion occurred. Neighbors noted that Iya Ayo's breast, stomach, and arms were pierced by nails, while an artisan was also injured. At least four adjoining buildings suffered severe structural damage.

Eyewitnesses recounted harrowing moments, with a petty trader, Madam Joy, describing a bright object before the impact: "We saw it coming with lights beaming, then it rammed into that upstairs before going through the other three buildings it pulled down." The Nigeria Police Force promptly responded to the scene, and Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, swiftly dismissed rumors of a bomb attack or foreign military action. Commissioner Ojo clarified, "There was no bomb scare in Offa, there was no plane crash. What happened was an ordnance, and our IED experts have evacuated the debris. There is no cause for alarm. Everything is under control."

Police explosive experts have since commenced discreet investigations to determine the source of the ordnance. The explosions reportedly occurred at two separate locations around midnight – one near the Eid praying ground area and another close to Solid Worth Hotel, approximately a five-minute walk apart. An undetonated explosive device was reportedly discovered at the second site, prompting security agencies to cordon off the area. The Chief Press Secretary to the Executive Chairman of Offa Local Government, Abiola Azeez Babatunde, confirmed the incident, stating that the council was aware of reports of a suspected ordnance-related incident around the Offa Yidi praying ground.

The Offa Local Government announced that security agencies had secured the affected areas and initiated investigations. The Executive Chairman of Offa Local Government Area, Suleiman Olatunji Omituntun, also visited the scenes shortly after the incident, urging residents to remain calm, vigilant, and law-abiding. The council advised the public to rely solely on official information to prevent panic and assured its commitment to residents' safety, pledging continued cooperation with security agencies until investigations are concluded.

However, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State condemned what it described as the "continued silence and inaction" of the state government following the explosion. In a statement issued in Ilorin by the party’s State Publicity Secretary, Hon. Olusegun Olusola Adewara, the PDP expressed deep concern that the AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq-led administration had failed to provide any official explanation or reassurance since the incident. The party sympathized with the people of Offa, particularly Mufutau Gbadamosi, Esuwoye I, and all affected communities, businesses, and residents.

The PDP criticized the state governor and his government for being "conspicuously missing in action, both physically and in communication," while residents fled in fear. The opposition party stated that as of its statement, there had been no official explanation, security briefing, government presence at the scene, or reassuring words from the state government to the traumatized people of Offa and other Kwara residents. The PDP argued that this "dangerous vacuum of leadership has fuelled panic, rumours and widespread anxiety among innocent citizens," characterizing the situation as "irresponsible, insensitive and reckless governance," especially during a festive period.

The PDP asserted that under responsible leadership, the governor would have immediately visited the affected area, conducted a first-hand assessment, and briefed the public on what transpired. The party described it as unacceptable that neither the governor nor any state or local government official had visited Offa to identify with victims, and security agencies had not properly briefed the public. The PDP called on Governor AbdulRazaq to urgently return from Abuja, visit Offa to assess the situation and support affected residents, and provide a clear briefing on the incident, stressing that the people of Offa deserved truth, protection, and leadership, not silence and absentee governance.