Explosion rocks Army cantonment in Lagos, as no casualty recorded

By Emmanuel Atokolo

Residents around Army Headquarters Cantonment in Ikeja heaved a sign of relief as the Nigerian Army announced through its director of Army Relations, Onyema Nwachukwu that no casualty was recorded in a minor bomb explosion that occurred on Monday as a result of burning of refuse and other inflammable debris by a farmer on a farmland located in the mammy market in the cantonement.

Initially concerns were on a high as the memories of the last military cantonement bomb blast on January 27th 2002 left a damning effect in the affected areas and many lives were lost. The Nigerian Army stepped in to water down the effects of the just recorded blast.

Major General Nwachukwu in his statement expressed that “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 its 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,” he said.