By Philip Nwosu
The Bomb Disposal Unit of the Nigeria Police Force has certified the Ikeja Military Cantonment at the Onigbongbo area of Lagos State free of unexploded ordnances.
The certification came after the Nigerian Army combed the entire areas affected by the January 27, 2002 Armoury explosion and picked over 2,000 unexploded ordnances and properly demolished them at the force’s facility at Ajilete in Ogun State.
The army said following the certification, the cantonment is now free of unexploded ordnances, scattered around the cantonment. The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, who spoke at the end of a clearance exercise which commenced October 10, 2023, said the entire cantonment is now free of unexploded ordnances, and that residents of the cantonment have nothing to fear anymore.
General Lagbaja, who spoke through the Corps Commander of the Nigerian Army Corps of Engineers, Major General Philip Eromosele, said before now, the contaminated site has been a no-go area for inhabitants of the cantonment and its environs as the Unexploded Explosive Ordnance, therein, posed a grave safety and security threat.
The army chief said: “I, therefore, stand here just about two months short of the 22nd anniversary of the bomb blast with great sense of accomplishment, pride in the ability of our personnel, and gratitude to the Lord for the successful clearance of the harmful Unexploded Explosive Ordnance.”
He said no fewer than 2,055 unexploded explosive ordnance (bombs) of various calibers were recovered from the contaminated site, adding that the blast’s epicentre, measuring 155,275 square metres, is now safe and secure for immediate productive development.
General Lagbaja said the Nigerian Army did not achieve the clearance alone, explaining that in keeping with the joint approach to achieving the force’s operational objectives and tasks as captured in his command philosophy, the army adopted a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach from planning to executing the exercise.
He said the resources of key stakeholders like the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Federal and State Fire Services, Federal Road Safety Corps, National and State Emergency Management Authorities, and the media were professionally pooled to achieve success in the most cost-effective manner.
He said: “This synergy ensured that standard safety and security procedures were strictly adhered to, leaving no gaps for accidents or misinformation of the general populace, expressing thanks to the Inspector General of Police and heads of all the other various agencies of government at national and state levels, for their support and investment in men and equipment for this clean-up exercise.
He said the army will continue to be responsible and responsive in its engagement with the society, noting that in line with this commitment, the army’s ongoing end-of-year exercises and operations have been strengthened further to achieve their respective objectives of combating piracy, oil theft, banditry, kidnapping, terrorism, insurgency, secessionist agitation, and others.
He said the three beams of his command philosophy, which are leadership, operational effectiveness, and sound administration, shall be vigorously pursued to ensure the force meets with its constitutional roles.
Earlier, the Acting Director, Directorate of Engineer Search and Disposal, Colonel Abdulrazaq Kazeem, said Exercise CLEAN SWEEP was meticulously conducted in four distinct phases, namely mobilisation, vegetation clearance, Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) search and recovery, and demobilisation. Each phase was executed with precision and utmost professionalism, demonstrating the exceptional capabilities of our personnel.
He said during the UXO search and recovery phase, “we employed state-of-the-art equipment such as Husky CIED Vehicles and Vallon Dual Sensor Handheld Mine detectors. These sophisticated equipment enabled us to systematically locate and recover a total of 2,055 UXOs from the site.
“I am pleased to inform you that not a single UXO was deliberately or accidentally detonated at the clearance site. Furthermore, I am delighted to report that there were no accidents throughout the exercise, which is a testament to the high level of competence and discipline displayed by our personnel during the exercise.”
He said the officers and soldiers have not only demonstrated their mastery of EOD tactics, techniques and procedures, but have also showcased their proficient use of the best technology in modern EOD operations.
Colonel Kazeem said this is in line with the chief of army staff’s command philosophy, which is ‘to transform the Nigerian Army into a well-trained, equipped and highly motivated force towards achieving our constitutional responsibilities within a joint environment’.