Twenty-One Years After, 93 Unexploded Bombs Recovered In Ikeja Military Cantonment

The Nigerian Army has said it has recovered no fewer than 93 Unexploded Ordnances (UXOs), also known as bombs, at the Ikeja Military Cantonment in Lagos State.

The recovery comes 21 years after the Ikeja bomb blast in the state claimed the lives of over 1,000 residents in 2002.

The Army said the ongoing operation dubbed ‘Exercise Clean Sweep’ was flagged off on Tuesday to clear the area following the incident that rocked the cantonment.

While briefing the press on Friday, the Director at the Directorate of Explosives Search and Disposal, Nigeria Army Engineers/Coordinator of Exercise Clean Sweep, Colonel Abdulrazaq Kazeem, said the bombs were of various calibres and descriptions.

He said, “We have so far recovered 93 ordnances of different calibres. So, at 93, we are not yet up to the explosives. We measure it in kilograms, so once we reach that particular explosive limit, we’ll move to the range”, he said.

The Safety Officer, Lt Col Oluseyi Oladapo Bamikole, also noted that the right strategies are being implemented for the safety of personnel as the Army has made adequate equipment available, including boundaries and trained personnel to identify UXO before recovery from the site.

The Nigerian Army, despite past clearance and disposal exercises at the site, has continued to recover remnants of UXOs within and around the precinct of the bomb blast.

Their existence is, however, a detriment to the safety and security of the inhabitants of the Cantonment and the environment.