Army calms lagosians over explosion at Ikeja cantonment

The Nigerian Army has assured citizens of Lagos that an explosion that rocked the Ikeja Military Cantonment in the state was nothing to worry about.

No casualty was recorded in the loud bang that occurred reportedly at a farm site within the sprawling cantonment that houses Army barracks and formations.

Fearing a repetition of the famous “Ikeja Bomb Blast” of January 27, 2002, which resulted in hundreds of deaths as people panicked when a fire broke out in the armoury at the cantonment, and bombs and incendiaries exploded repeatedly for hours, Lagosians had feared the worse when the explosion of Monday came from the same direction.

However, the Army has issued a statement to calm frayed nerves.

Titled, “Situation Report On Minor Explosion At A Farmland In Ikeja Cantonment,” the statement by the Director of Army Public Relations, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, said: “This is to notify the general public that today Monday 1 April 2024, a minor explosion occurred within the Nigerian Army (NA) Cantonment in Ikeja, Lagos. The incident occurred on a farmland near the Mammy Market within the Cantonment.

“The explosion is suspected to have been triggered by the burning of refuse and other inflammable debris by a farmer who cultivated the farmland.

“Fortunately, no casualty was recorded in the incident. However, given that the Cantonment was recently cleared and certified free of unexploded ordnances, we understand that there could be concerns among the general public as a result of the historical antecedent of explosion within the Cantonment. The NA therefore wishes to assure the public that the situation is under control as the NA Engineers Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team has cordoned off the area of the farmland to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the explosion. We urge residents in the general area not to panic and assure them of their safety.”