Panic gripped traders and residents at the Shoe Materials Market in Mushin, Lagos, on Monday after an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) detonated beneath a parked vehicle, leaving one person injured and triggering a massive security operation.
Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Tijani, who visited the scene, assured the public that the situation had been brought under control after operatives of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Unit swept the area and found no additional explosive devices.
Addressing journalists, Tijani said the police responded swiftly after receiving reports of the explosion.
“We promptly deployed our EOD team after receiving reports of an explosion. The area was cordoned off and thoroughly searched,” he said.
Preliminary investigations, according to the police commissioner, revealed that the blast was caused by an Improvised Explosive Device concealed beneath the passenger side of a vehicle.
“The IED was under the vehicle by the passenger side. It exploded when the vehicle was started,” Tijani stated.
He disclosed that one person sustained injuries in the incident and was immediately rushed to hospital, adding that the victim is currently in stable condition.
The commissioner further revealed that EOD experts recovered fragments of the explosive device, which have been taken away for forensic examination as investigations continue.
He urged traders and residents to remain calm and go about their normal activities, stressing that there was no further security threat in the area.
Tijani also dismissed speculations linking the incident to a worsening security situation in Lagos, insisting that such reports were unfounded.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the Lagos State Police Command to safeguarding lives and property and warned criminal elements to steer clear of the state.
Also speaking, the Baale of Oke Mushin Community, Mr. Tajudeen Faronbi, recounted how the incident unfolded in the early hours of Monday.
“Early this morning, around one o’clock, while I was praying, I received a call that something unusual had been seen. When I got there, I saw a vehicle and people were afraid to go near it,” he said.
Faronbi said he immediately alerted the Area Commander and other security agencies due to the suspicious nature of the discovery.
According to him, about 35 police officers were initially deployed to the scene, with additional personnel arriving later to secure the area and prevent residents from approaching the vehicle.
He noted that the swift intervention by security operatives helped restore calm and prevented the incident from escalating into widespread panic.
The community leader added that the identity of the vehicle owner remains unknown, as no one in the market has been able to explain who parked it there or the circumstances surrounding its presence.
Security agencies have since taken over the scene as investigations continue into the source of the explosive device and those responsible for planting it.
