An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was discovered on Wednesday at the fence of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service on Bank Anthony Way, Ikeja, Lagos.
This discovery occurred on the eve of a planned nationwide protest against economic hardship, scheduled to take place from August 1 to August 10, 2024.
Reports indicate that the IED was allegedly dropped by an unidentified individual who drove to the location in a car and quickly left after placing the device. The suspect was first noticed by a police officer attached to the Explosive Ordinance Depot (EOD) in Ikeja. A police source mentioned that the officer saw a man in an unregistered Toyota Corolla car parked near the entrance of the PMF 23 barracks on Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way.
Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Adegoke Fayoade, confirmed the incident through the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin. Fayoade explained that the officer from the Police Explosives Ordinance Depot (EOD) base in Ikeja spotted the suspect parking the unregistered Toyota Corolla on the main road near the gate of PMF 23 barracks.
The officer observed a young man exit the car and place a bag by the FOU Zone A fence before quickly returning to his vehicle and driving away. Upon receiving this report, a team of EOD-CBRN experts was mobilized to the scene to identify the object. Upon arrival, they confirmed that the item was indeed an IED. The area was subsequently cordoned off, and the IED was rendered safe and detonated. Residuals of the device were collected for further analysis and investigation.