- From panic to survival: Traders recount the horror
BY CHINYERE OBIORA – Anti-bomb experts in Lagos have escalated the Oke Mushin area bombing investigation to Abuja, the nation’s capital, flying in critical explosive particles to Force Headquarters, Louis Edet House for advanced forensic profiling.
Police reports indicated that the early-morning suspected Improvised Explosive Device (IED), detonated beneath a parked vehicle in the area, has launched a frantic race to determine the origin and motive behind the attack.
The reports said the incident occurred at about 6 a.m., at 22, Wey Street, Oke Mushin, when the owner of the gold Toyota Sienna with registration number AAA 11FX, attempted to start the vehicle after it was parked overnight.
The blast triggered a swift response from security agencies, including bomb disposal experts and senior police officers, who cordoned off the area and launched an immediate investigation.
According to Police insider, “The matter is not just serious the way media is blowing it. The driver of the car was slightly injured. Apart from that, nothing else. You know the market was busy when it happened. But today, normalcy has returned. So far, we don’t know what is inside the package.
“We are still analysing it. It looks like a small container placed inside a small bag in front of one shop where the man packed his car. It has been sent to our headquarters in Abuja for further forensic analysis.”
Speaking to reporters at the Lagos Command headquarters yesterday, the State Police Commissioner, Tijani Fatai said: “There was an explosion. Any explosion can be linked to IED and that is what I can tell you for now.
“Our EOD operatives are still working on the explosion and what they were able to collect from that particular spot. So, with time, we will give you the full brief of the outcome.”
Meanwhile, eyewitnesses and local merchants in the Oke Mushin community of Lagos State have begun recounting the harrowing moments surrounding the sudden explosion. One of the eyewitnesses, a trader in the vibrant market district, who identified himself simply as Ebuka, told some reporters that while he was not present during the initial blast, he arrived shortly after to find his colleagues navigating the immediate, chaotic aftermath
According to him, “I don’t live here, but when I came to the market yesterday morning to resume trading, I met a lot of people gathered in clusters. When I inquired, I learned that there was an explosion that injured a resident who recently parked into this neighbourhood.
“From what I heard, the man who owns the vehicle parked it here during the night. In the morning, when he was about leaving for Alaba, that was when the incident happened.”
Another of the trader whose display stand was reduced to rubble by the blast, Christian said he arrived at the market shortly after the chaos unfolded to piece together the events from eyewitness accounts, recounting how community leaders swiftly took control of the escalating situation to ensure public safety.
It was further gathered that Chairman of the Structural Materials Association (SMA), Mr. Okubo, led the response efforts, collaborating with neighborhood leaders to secure the perimeter as they immediately mobilized security forces, ensuring that specialized bomb detectives were dispatched to the scene to assess the threat.
Okubo said: “They came and took some samples from the explosion. We picked some particles of the device. We found one small portion of it inside the vehicle, while some were littered on the ground.”
Also, another eyewitness, a resident of the area, who gave his name as Ogundiji, said the loud blast sent shock-waves through the community, forcing residents to rush out of their homes. “I was getting ready to go to work on Monday morning when we heard a very loud sound. I didn’t know where the loud bang came from, but it was so terrifying.
“When the sound stopped, some of the residents rushed out to find out if the community had been invaded. It was when we came out that we discovered that it was one of the neighbours who was trying to start his vehicle that caused the explosion.”
Available information indicated that the explosive force sent destructive shock waves tearing through the surrounding environment with a nearby iron door, scattering sharp metal fragments and debris back toward the vehicle
Security forces quickly cordoned off the area to collect debris and fragments of the weapon, while local witnesses reported that a nearby iron gate was completely ripped open by the impact from the blast. – With additional reports from Vanguard newspaper
