Ikeja Cantonment Explosion: Nigerian Army Begins Investigations

The Nigerian Army has called on residents and the general public not to panic over what it described as “minor explosion” that occurred within its Cantonment in Ikeja, Lagos State on Monday.

A statement by the Director Army Public Relations, Major General, Onyema Nwachukwu, said the incident which occurred on a farmland near the Mammy Market within the Cantonment, had been put under control.

“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.”

Nwachukwu explained that no casualty was recorded in the incident, even as he noted that there are concerns among the general public as a result of the historical antecedent of explosion within the Cantonment.

“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.”