The Nigerian Army has advised Lagosians not to panic over the explosion that occurred in the Nigerian Army Cantonment Ikeja, Lagos, Monday.
Jerrymusa.com reports that an investigation to determine the cause had started.
The event happened just four months after the cantonment’s bomb detonation site from January 28, 2022, was cleared of unexploded ordnance remnants.
155,275 unexploded explosive ordnance pieces were found after the clearance operation known as “Exercise Clean Sweep” was completed. Subsequently, the 155,275 square metre epic centre of the explosion was deemed safe and safeguarded for constructive construction.
Recent Succesive Explosion Raises Concern
However, since the most recent explosion occurred after the region had been declared secure, some have become concerned.
Despite describing it as a modest explosion, the Army officials stated that no lives were lost.
Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, Director of Army Public Relations, who verified the occurrence, stated it occurred on Monday, April 1, 2024.
“This is to notify the general public that on Monday, April 1, 2024, a minor explosion occurred within the Nigerian Army (NA) Cantonment in Ikeja, Lagos,” stated Nwachukwu in a statement released yesterday. The incident happened in the Cantonment on a farmland close to the Mammy Market.
It is believed that the farmer who farmed the area set fire to trash and other combustible debris, which set off the explosion.
“Thankfully, there were no reported casualties from the incident. However, we recognise that the public may have concerns due to the historical antecedent of explosion within the Cantonment, especially since the Cantonment was recently cleansed and verified free of unexploded munitions.”
In order to fully investigate the cause of the explosion, the NA Engineers Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team has cordoned off the farming area. As a result, the NA wants to reassure the public that everything is under control. We reassure the locals that they are safe and ask them not to fear.