A suspicious object, identified as an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), was discovered at the perimeter fence of the Nigeria Customs Service’s Federal Operations Unit (FOU), in Ikeja, Lagos, on Wednesday.
The discovery comes on the eve of a planned nationwide protest against economic hardship, scheduled to take place from August 1 to August 10, 2024.
According to eyewitnesses, the IED was allegedly dropped off by an unidentified individual who drove up to the location in a car and quickly fled the scene.
A police officer attached to the Explosive Ordinance Depot (EOD), Base in Ikeja first spotted the suspect, who was seen parking an unregistered Toyota Corolla car near the entrance of the PMF 23 barracks along Mobolaji Bank Anthony way, Ikeja.
Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Adegoke Fayoade, confirmed the incident.
Fayoade, who spoke through the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, said the officer who sighted the suspect is attached to the Police Explosives Ordinance Depot (EOD) base in Ikeja.
The Lagos State Police boss said the suspected parked his unregistered Toyota Corolla car on the main road, close to the gate of PMF 23 barracks.
“The officer sighted a young man alighted from the car and carefully dropped a bag by the side of FOU Zone A fence. The young man returned to bis car and zoomed off.
“Based on the report a team of the report, a team of EOD-CBRN experts from the base quickly mobilized to the scene to identify the object.
“On arrival it was confirmed that truly the item is IED. Subsequently, the area was cordoned off and the IED Rendered safe and thereafter detonated accordingly. Meanwhile the residual of the IED was collected for further analysis and investigation” he added -Nigerian Tribune
