THE Lagos State Police Command has dismissed reports linking the explosion at the shoe materials market in the Mushin area of Lagos to an improvised explosive device (IED), terrorism, sabotage, or any form of criminal use of explosives, saying investigations have established that the incident resulted from a mechanical failure.
News Point Nigeria reports that one person sustained injuries on Monday morning when a vehicle exploded at the popular shoe materials market in Mushin, triggering concerns over the cause of the blast.
Speaking during a visit to the scene shortly after the incident, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Fatai Tijani, said the command received reports of the explosion and immediately deployed Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) operatives to the area to assess the situation.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Tijani had said preliminary findings suggested that the explosion was caused by an improvised explosive device (IED) planted beneath the passenger side of the vehicle. He explained that the device allegedly detonated when the engine was started, leaving one person injured and receiving treatment in hospital, where the victim was reported to be in stable condition.
However, in a statement issued on Thursday, the command’s spokesperson, Abimbola Adebisi, said subsequent investigations conclusively established that the explosion was not caused by an IED or any criminal act involving explosives.
“The Command is pleased to inform the good people of Lagos State and Nigerians at large that the investigation has conclusively established that the incident was not caused by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), terrorist activity, sabotage, or any form of criminal use of explosives,” the statement read.
According to Adebisi, technical investigations revealed no traces of explosive materials, detonators, initiation systems, explosive residues, or blast characteristics ordinarily associated with explosive attacks.
She explained that investigators established that the incident resulted from the catastrophic failure of a pressurised mechanical component located outside the vehicle.
“This failure generated a sudden release of energy which caused the shattering of the vehicle’s front passenger side glass panels and resulted in minor injuries to the occupant,” the statement added.
Based on the outcome of the investigation, Adebisi said the incident has been professionally classified as a mechanical explosion, effectively ruling out terrorism, sabotage, or any criminal use of explosives.
