Police probe Lagos camera shop explosion, five injured

The Lagos State Police Command has launched an investigation into an explosion that rocked a CCTV dealer’s shop on Kodesho Street, near Computer Village in Ikeja.

A statement released by the state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, on Friday, said the blast occurred at approximately 6:35 p.m.

Following the explosion, he stated that operatives from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Unit, the Mobile Police Detachment, and conventional police teams swiftly cordoned off the area to ensure public safety.

“The scene of the explosion and adjoining areas were immediately taken over and cordoned off by operatives of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit, the Mobile Police Detachment, and conventional Lagos State Police Command teams,” Mr Hundeyin, a chief superintendent of police, said.

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He said the EOD experts swept the scene to prevent further danger and facilitate a thorough investigation into the cause of the blast.

He noted that the Commissioner of Police, Owohunwa Idowu, visited the site shortly after the incident for an on-the-spot assessment.

Urging residents to remain calm, the police chief assured the public that the area had been rendered safe.

“People can go about their lawful activities without fear,” he said.

He explained that preliminary police reports confirmed that five individuals inside and around the shop at the time of the explosion sustained varying degrees of injuries.

He said the victims were promptly taken to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) for medical attention.

“The Command hereby wishes to assure the general public of its commitment to maintain peace and security throughout the state,” Mr Hundeyin added.

Earlier, Leadership Newspaper reported that multiple people were injured when the explosion occurred at the camera shop.

Witnesses said the blast happened after a shop attendant attempted to open a suspicious parcel delivered to the store.

Emergency response teams—including officers from Area G Police Station, EOD-CBRN Base 23 Ikeja, and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA)—were deployed to the scene to manage the aftermath and secure the environment.

An eyewitness, Lucky Okoro, recounted narrowly escaping the explosion. “Around six o’clock in the evening, I was about to step into the shop when the explosion happened. I had just placed my foot on the pavement leading to the shop, and the blast pushed me away. I couldn’t wait for anything—I just ran. But we saw fire catch a lady and a man inside the shop.”

Another witness, Olumide Gbeleyi, said he was in a nearby hotel when smoke engulfed the area. “They asked us to come downstairs, and we realised it was an explosion at the camera shop. A lady selling snacks outside was badly affected. Another woman had to take off her bra because the fire had caught her clothes.”

Sule Aminu, a resident familiar with the shop’s operations, suggested the explosion may have been a targeted attack. “The owner has three shops on the street, all linked by CCTV. Someone brought a package this evening, and when one of the attendants tried to open it, it exploded. CCTV footage from one of the other shops reportedly captured the incident.”

Rising spectre of explosions

The incident again raises the spectre of explosions in Lagos State and other parts of the country, where tankers, grenades, and improperly stored explosives used by miners have accounted for recent spontaneous blasts, claiming lives and destroying property.

The latest incident occurred in the state just about a week after twin explosions, suspected to be from grenades, killed one person and injured about eight others at a scavenging site in Taiwo Street, Idi-Araba community, Mushin Local Government Area.

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From time, Lagos has been a site of some of the most devastating explosions in the country, such as the accidental detonation of a large stock of high explosives at a military storage facility in the Ikeja military cantonment on 27 January 2002.

The explosion reportedly killed about 1,100 people and displaced over 20,000, with many thousands injured or homeless.

In Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on 16 January 2024, at least five people were killed, 77 were left injured and many properties were destroyed in a devasting explosion that shook a large area. The explosion was attributed to improperly stored explosives belonging to miners.

Many explosions in the country have been blamed on weak regulations and enforcement activities coupled with entrenched poor safety culture regarding the use, transportation and storage of explosives and other incendiary substances.