A military grenade explosion occurred in the Idi-Araba area of Mushlin, Lagos State, claiming to be the life of a scavenger and causing three other injured people.
The incident occurred Thursday afternoon on Taiwan Street when the deceased tried to put allegedly purchased two grenades from scrap metal into one.
Witnesses said the device detonated on a scrap rack, killing the man immediately and triggering a fire that caused panic in densely populated communities.
“Yesterday, this happened in my community, Idi-Araba, Mushin Lagos. They bought it with iron condemnation and tried to cut into two pieces, but the smoke started to burst out and the incident exploded. It killed only one person and two were injured. All were northerners,” one resident said.
The explosion raised concerns among locals about how the explosive device ended up being in the hands of civilians, and many suspect that the grenade might have been stolen or selected from the military site. Another resident said in another: “How is the bomb mastered for God’s sake?
The Lagos State Police Department confirmed the incident, saying the explosion was accidental. According to police spokesman Benjamin Hundeyin, a call in distress was received around 1:30 p.m., and officials ordered by Ikeja explosives (EOD) were deployed to the scene.
“After arriving, the team put the site safe and blocked the site. The explosion was found to be the result of a military-grade grenade tampered with by a scavenger who tried to split one,” Handian said.
He added: “As a result, he died on the spot, three others were injured and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. The team obtained evidence materials from the scene for further analysis and stored the bodies in Mortuary for autopsy. The investigation into the incident continues.”
