The Nigerian Army has said that it will remove unexploded ordinances at the site of the 2002 bomb explosion in Ikeja Cantonment to Ogun State.
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, who disclosed this during a courtesy visit to Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu in Marina, said the unexploded ordinances would be relocated to a safe location in the Ajilete area of Ogun State.
Lagbaja also used the occasion to express his appreciation for the “tremendous support” the people and state government accorded to the Army units and formations.
He said his visit was to inform the governor about the army’s activities to be conducted in Lagos, noting that the exercises were designed to further entrench the peace and stability enjoyed in Lagos.
“We are ushering in the last three months of the year where citizens travel across the country for festivities. We need to provide safe and secure passage for the people travelling. We have put together three security exercises to prevent any form of breaches and these will be flagged off on Tuesday in Lagos,” he said
Sanwo-Olu thanked the army for committing to the rules of engagement and professionalism in its peace mission across the country. The governor said the army had continued to live up to the expectations of their roles as provided by the constitution, stressing that the sacrifice paid by soldiers to keep the territorial integrity and peace of the country would not go unappreciated.
“The 2002 Ikeja bomb explosion was a trying moment for the army, given the magnitude of the damage. But the event never weakened the resolve of the military. Lagos State government is committed to ensuring that the army gets all the necessary support for your security operations.”
The governor assured the army boss that the state government would rebuild a military primary school in Orile demolished for the construction of Lagos-Badagry Expressway. He sought for the cooperation of the military personnel in restoring sanity back to the Lagos-Badagry corridor, where the state government has been clearing illegal shanties built along the expressway.
