The Lagos State Police Command has assured residents of their safety following a bomb explosion at a busy Mushin market, a key commercial district in the state.
Commissioner of Police Fatai Tijani said the area remained secure, even as Inspector General of Police Olatunji Disu declared there would be no retreat in the war against terrorism until criminal elements were driven out of the country.
Disu made the declaration in Lokoja at a stakeholders’ consultative meeting for the North Central zone, where he was represented by Coordinating Deputy Inspector General Isiyaku Mohammed.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, meanwhile, restated his administration’s commitment to working with the IGP to strengthen the state’s security architecture. He spoke during a courtesy visit by DIG Adegoke Fayoade, Supervising DIG for the South West region, at Lagos House, Ikeja.
The explosion, caused by an Improvised Explosive Device, struck during evening rush hour at the Wey Street Material Market and triggered panic.
“We promptly deployed our EOD team after receiving reports of an explosion. The area was cordoned off and thoroughly searched,” Tijani said.
One person was injured. Tijani said security operatives conducted a comprehensive sweep of the Shoe Materials Market in Mushin and immediately deployed Explosive Ordnance Disposal operatives to secure the scene.
Preliminary findings indicated the device was planted under the passenger side of a vehicle and detonated when the engine was started. “The IED was under the vehicle, by the passenger side. It exploded when the vehicle was started,” he said.
The lone injured victim was taken to hospital and was in stable condition. After a detailed sweep, EOD experts found no additional devices. Tijani urged traders and residents to remain calm and resume normal activities.
In Lokoja, Disu said the meeting was held to assess security following recent bandit invasions and the killing of bandit kingpin Kachalla Ibrahim, alias Batijo, in Kogi State. He said community policing, backed by traditional rulers, community leaders and residents, was the best way to confront insecurity, stressing that people must “say something when they see something.”
Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo, represented by security adviser Jerry Omodara, said the visit was strategic and that the war on banditry was yielding results.
In Lagos, Sanwo-Olu, represented by Chief of Staff Tayo Ayinde, said the state took security with utmost seriousness and remained the safest in the country. “We do not joke with security. We are going to continue to support the police and other security agencies to ensure that Lagos remains the safest state in Nigeria,” he said.
Fayoade, a former Lagos Commissioner of Police, said the visit aimed to strengthen operational readiness and secure improved logistics for the command, praising Lagos as a model of security partnership.
