Ikeja Cantonment Explosion: No Casualty Recorded, Situation Under Control, Says Army Headquarters

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

The Nigerian Army Headquarters said Tuesday that casualty was recorded in a minor explosion that occurred in Ikeja Cantonment.
A statement issued by the Spokesman of the Nigerian Army, Maj Gen Onyema Nwachukwu, said the explosion was triggered by the burning of refuse and other inflammable debris by a farmer who cultivated the farmland.
It said the situation was under control as the Nigerian Army Engineers Explosive Disposal (EOD) team were in the area of the farmland to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the explosion.
“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”, it said.
“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 Nigerian Army, therefore, wishes to assure the public that the situation is under control as the Nigerian Army 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”, it said.