Explosion Rocks Ikeja Cantonment Farmland

The Nigerian Army has reported a “minor explosion” within its Ikeja cantonment, Lagos State on Monday.

A statement issued by the Director Army Public Relations, Major General, Onyema Nwachukwu, said the incident which happened 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 statement partly read.

According to the statement, the explosion was 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, according to Nwachukwu.

However, given that the cantonment was recently cleared and certified free of unexploded ordnances, the Army said it understood that there could be concerns among the general public as a result of the historical antecedent of the explosion.

“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,” the statement added.