21 Years After Ikeja Blast, Army Recovers 93 Unexploded Bombs In Lagos

The Nigerian Army has confirmed the recovery of a total of 93 unexploded bombs, known as ordnance, at the Ikeja Military Cantonment in Lagos.

The discovery was made during the ongoing operation called ‘Exercise Clean Sweep’, the army said in a statement issued on Thursday.

The Army launched the exercise on Tuesday, October 10, 2023 to clear the area following the 2002 bomb blast that rocked the cantonment.

The Army said in its report that the recovered bombs varied in terms of their calibre and characteristics.

The Director of the Directorate of Explosives Search and Disposal and the Coordinator of Exercise Clean Sweep, Colonel Abdulrazaq Kazeem, while providing an update on the progress of the operation during his first briefing, said a total of ninety-three unexploded ordnance had been retrieved from the site thus far.

According to him, despite previous efforts to clear and dispose of explosives at the site, there have been numerous instances of remnants of unexploded ordnance being discovered within and around the vicinity of the bomb blast.

This, he said, poses a significant threat to the safety and security of the residents of the Cantonment and the surrounding environment.

“The moment we reach maximum limits of explosives within our holding area, such ordinances will be moved to the range. If we get to the explosive limits today, I will move to the range today. We would not exceed a kilogram above the explosive limits because it is measured in kilograms. We wouldn’t cross that line. At 93, we have not yet reached the limits,” he reiterated.

On his part, the Safety Officer, Lt Col Oluseyi Oladapo Bamikole, said necessary measures had been put in place “for the safety of personnel as they have made adequate equipment available including demarcations and trained personnel to identify UXO before recovery from the site.”