A “minor explosion” occurred on Monday inside the Nigerian Army’s Ikeja cantonment in Lagos State, according to reports.
According to a statement from Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, Director Army Public Relations, the incident that happened on a farmland inside the cantonment close to the Mammy Market had been contained.
“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 said in part.
The statement stated that the explosion was thought to have been caused by a farmer who farmed the area burning trash and other combustible waste.
Thankfully, Nwachukwu said that there were no casualties reported in the incident.
The Army acknowledged that the historical background of the explosion may raise concerns among the public, but stressed that the cantonment had just been cleared and declared free of explosive ordnance.
In order to fully investigate the cause of the explosion, the NA Engineers Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team has cordoned off the farming area. As a result, the NA wants to reassure the public that everything is under control. We reassure the local population that they are safe and ask them not to worry,” the message said.