By Ayorinde Taiwo( SIWES Student, Gateway Poly Sapaade).
The Nigerian Army is set to initiate the removal of unexploded bombs left in the aftermath of the 2002 Ikeja Cantonment bomb explosion on October 10, 2023.
Exercise Clean Sweep, the operation’s codename, is in advanced preparation, as confirmed by Brig. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, the Director of Army Public Relations.
Recalling the tragic 2002 Ikeja Cantonment bomb blast that resulted in over 1,000 casualties as people fled and drowned in a canal, Nwachukwu stated in a statement on Wednesday that bomb disposal activities will also take place in Owode, Ajilete, Ogun State, on October 27. He reassured residents that loud noises may occur during the exercise but urged them not to be alarmed.
Nwachukwu explained, The clearance of unexploded ordnances left from the 2002 Ikeja Cantonment bomb blast began on Tuesday, October 10, 2023, under Exercise Clean Sweep.
The operation has progressed significantly, leading to the recovery of various unexploded ordnance, which must be safely and professionally disposed of.
As previously announced during the inauguration press briefing and flag-off by Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, Chief of Army Staff, on October 10, 2023, the Nigerian Army will conduct the disposal of retrieved unexploded ordnance at the Nigerian Army Range in Owode, Ajilete, Ogun State, on Friday, October 27, 2023, from 10 am to 4 pm.
Therefore, there will be the transportation of unexploded ordnances from Ikeja Cantonment to the Nigerian Army Shooting Range in Owode, Ajilete, Ogun State. The detonation of these explosives will produce loud noises that will be audible from a considerable distance during the exercise.
Consequently, the general public, especially residents of Owode, Ajilete, and the surrounding areas, are encouraged not to panic but to carry on with their regular and lawful activities, as the sound of the explosions will not pose any security threat.
A specific request is made to farmers and landowners within and around the vicinity of the Nigerian Army Shooting Range Ajilete, Owode, Ogun State, to kindly stay clear during the exercise.
