The army authorities have uncovered explosives at the site of the Ikeja bomb blast, a staggering 21 years and nine months later.
The blast, which took place on January 27, 2002, at the Military Cantonment in Ikeja, is estimated to have claimed the lives of at least 1,100 people, displacing over 20,000 while leaving many others injured and homeless.
The detonation occurred in the armoury section of the barracks, triggering bombs and other explosives, resulting in destruction over two days and causing chaos and panic as people sought safety.
Addressing the public in Lagos during the launch of “Exercise Clean Sweep” on Tuesday, Lieutenant-General Tajudeen Lagbaja, the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), revealed that the army had begun the process of relocating the remaining unexploded ordnance to one of its bases in Ajilete, Ogun State.
Lagbaja stated that the initial clearance operation conducted in 2002 had ensured a certain level of safety in Ikeja Cantonment and its surroundings. However, the recent discovery of unexploded explosive ordnances at the blast site necessitated a follow-up clearance exercise.
The upcoming 60+1-day exercise, scheduled from October 10 to December 10, will involve the mobilization of engineers’ plants and essential equipment to the site. The objective of Exercise Clean Sweep is to completely disinfect the blast’s epicenter, clearing it of all verified and suspected remaining unexploded explosive ordnance. This process aims to make the site safe and suitable for future use by the Nigerian Army and the broader Ikeja community.
Despite the lengthy duration to finalize the clearance operation due to the need for comprehensive planning and acquiring relevant expertise and equipment, Lagbaja assured the public that the exercise would be conducted with the utmost professionalism, prioritizing safety and adhering to global best practices.
To ensure awareness and understanding of the impending exercise, extensive sensitization and awareness campaigns will be conducted through various media channels. The Nigerian Army seeks the cooperation of relevant government agencies and parastatals in Lagos and Ogun states to ensure the success of this cleanup effort.
The COAS emphasized that although it took the army over two decades to reach this point, their commitment was unwavering, driven by the goal of making sites secure and preventing similar incidents in the future, providing the best compensation for the victims of the 2002 bomb blast. However, a retired Nigerian Air Force personnel, John Ojikutu, raised concerns, suggesting that the discovered unexplosive materials might not have been there for such an extended period and could have been planted recently, as no previous incidents in Lagos justified their presence.