Panic in Lagos Market as Hidden Device Explodes Inside Mysterious Vehicle

(Market in Mushin. Photo by Nation Newspaper)

Panic erupted at the Shoe Materials Market in Mushin, Lagos, on Monday after an improvised expl%sive device concealed beneath a vehicle detonated, leaving one person inj¥red.

Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Tijani, who visited the scene, assured residents and traders that the situation had been brought under control following a thorough operation by security personnel.

He said officers from the Expl%sive Ordnance Disposal unit were immediately deployed after reports of the expl%sion reached the command, and that the area was secured and extensively searched.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the device had been hidden beneath the passenger side of a vehicle and detonated when the engine was started.

The inj¥red victim was rushed to hospital and is reported to be in stable condition.

Tijani stated that EOD experts conducted a detailed sweep of the area and confirmed that no additional expl%sive devices were found, adding that fragments of the device had been recovered and forwarded for forensic analysis as investigations continue.

He urged residents to disregard rumours suggesting a rise in insecurity across Lagos, maintaining that the state remains safe, and warned cr+minal elements to steer clear of the state.

The Baale of Oke Mushin Community, Tajudeen Faronbi, said he was alerted to the suspicious vehicle around 1 a.m. while observing prayers.

On arriving at the scene, he found residents too frightened to approach the vehicle and immediately notified security authorities, prompting the deployment of approximately 35 police officers, with additional personnel later arriving to secure the area and keep residents at a safe distance.

Faronbi added that the owner of the vehicle remains unidentified, as no one in the area has been able to establish who parked it at the market or why it was left there.