…ARMY EOD DEPLOYS TO SITE
Almost four months after the epicentre of the Ikeja bomb blast was certified by the Nigerian Army Engineers following UNMAS standards, to have professionally carried out the clearance (Search, Identification, Recovery and Disposal) of Unexploded Ordnance at the site of the 2002 Unintended Detonation of Ammunition Dump in Ikeja Cantonment, a minor Explosion occurred within the Cantonment at Ikeja, Lagos on Monday, 1st April 2024.
The incident occurred on a farmland near the Mammy Market within the Cantonment according to a statement by the Director of Army Public Relations (DAPR), Maj Gen Onyema Nwachukwu in Abuja.
According to him, 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, assured the public that the situation was under control as the NA Engineers Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team had cordoned off the area of the farmland to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the explosion.
As a result, the Nigerian Army is urging residents in the general area not to panic, assuring them of their safety.
It would be recalled that after 57 days of intensive clearance of Ordnances by the Nigerian Army Engineers, Ordnance Corps in collaboration with other sister agencies leading to the recovery and destruction of 2,055 UXOs, the Cantonment was certified safe and the Nigerian Army was issued a certificate by the Commander of the Nigeria Police Explosive Ordnance Department-CBRN, DSP Awodele Jude, who represented the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command under international standards.
As a result, the site was categorized “A” (safe) by UNMAS standards.
