The Nigerian Army has confirmed that a minor explosion occurred at the army cantonment in Ikeja, Lagos on Monday, April 1. In a statement released, the Director of Army public relations, Onyema Nwachukwu revealed that no casualty was recorded in the incident.

According to Onyema, the “minor explosion’ occurred on a farmland near the Mammy market within the cantonment.

“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.

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 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.”