The Nigerian army has opened up a fresh investigation into an explosion that occurred in a farmland located within the mammy market area of Ikeja cantonment in Lagos state.
The explosion occurred on Monday night in a farmland in the 9th brigade of the Nigerian army in the Ikeja area of Lagos.
No casualty was recorded during the explosion, according to an army spokesman but its occurrence created panic among those who residences are located close to the area.
Director army public relations, major general, Onyema Nwachukwu confirmed the explosion in a statement he issued on Monday night.
“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 read.
The statement claims the explosion is suspected to have been triggered by the burning of refuse and other inflammable debris by a farmer who cultivated the farmland.
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 concluded.
