Residents of the Oke Mushin area of Lagos woke to shock and confusion on Monday morning following an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion.
The explosion which occurred at 22, Wey Street in Oke Mushin, was traced to an IED planted underneath a gold Toyota Sienna with registration number Lagos AAA11FX, parked overnight by a resident said to have moved into the area barely three months ago.
According to residents, the owner of the vehicle had gone to start the engines before 6 a.m., probably to leave for work, when a bomb detonated on the passenger side and injured him.
The incident panicked residents and shop owners in the community, triggering a swift security response that brought the Commissioner of Police, CP Tijani Fatai, and bomb disposal experts to the scene, which has since been cordoned off.
It was observed that the passenger side of the vehicle was blown out and replaced with sheets of transparent polythene taped over the frames; the body was scorched and smeared with gunpowder, while broken glass still littered the ground beneath the doors.
Speaking at the scene of the blast, CP Fatai assured residents the area had been swept by Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) experts and confirmed to be free of threats.
He confirmed to the residents that the operatives confirmed the substance that exploded was an IED and that its remnants have been evacuated for investigation and safety purposes.
According to the police boss, the device was planted underneath the vehicle, adding that the owner in his statement said he parked the vehicle overnight and as soon as he turned on his engine ignition Monday morning, he heard an explosion.
“He got a little injury and has been taken to hospital and is being stabilised,” the CP told journalists at the scene, adding that the victim’s account was being reviewed as part of ongoing investigations.
“EOD operatives swept the area and certified it free of further devices. Remnants of the IED were recovered and taken to the command for forensic analysis,” he said.
CP Fatai swiftly calmed frayed nerves, urging residents and traders to resume normal activities.
“For now, after sweeping the area, we’ve gotten the report from our EOD operatives who came and found the area is free. There is nothing to worry about,” he said.
He also used the occasion to reaffirm the command’s resolve to keep Lagos secure. “We are not going to allow any banditry into Lagos. Our borders are tightened up, and we are not going to rest on our oars,” he stated.
The Baale of Oke Mushin, Chief Tajudeen Lasisi Farunbi, said he received a distress call around 6 am and rushed to the scene, where he found the vehicle with parts of it shattered.
He immediately alerted the Area Commander and the Divisional Police Officer, and urged bystanders not to touch the car until security forces arrived.
The Baale said he had no prior information about the vehicle’s owner, only that the car had been parked in the area for two to three months.
