Panic As Explosion Rocks Ikeja Army Cantonment

An explosion rocked the Ikeja Army Cantonment on Monday spreading fear and panic, but the Nigerian Army said the explosion was minor.

Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, Director, Army Public Relations, in a statement said the minor explosion occurred within the Nigerian Army (NA) Cantonment in Ikeja, Lagos.

He said the incident occurred on a farmland near the Mammy Market within the Cantonment.

Nwachukwu stated that 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,” he said.

Recall that in January, 2002 several bombs exploded at the Ikeja cantonment, with hundreds of people fleeing the scene of the explosion drowned in a murky water at Ejigbo, Lagos.