On January 27, 2002, Lagos State witnessed one of the darkest chapters in its history. The serenity of Ikeja was shattered when explosions erupted at the Ikeja Military Cantonment armoury, sending bombs flying across the city and igniting fires that devastated communities. What followed was panic, tragedy, and the loss of over a thousand lives.
A Night of Horror
That Sunday evening, a fire broke out in a nearby market and spread to the military base where high-calibre bombs and explosives were stored. At about 6:00 pm, the flames reached the munitions depot, triggering an enormous explosion that destroyed parts of Ikeja and neighbouring districts like Oshodi, Isolo, and Ejigbo.
The impact was catastrophic:
Streets were torn apart by the blasts.
Debris caused fires that engulfed homes.
Tremors shattered windows 15 km away and were felt as far as 50 km inland.
Thousands fled in fear, but in the chaos, many ran towards the concealed Ejigbo canal, hidden beneath water hyacinth in the darkness. Unaware of the danger, panicked crowds fell into the water, where at least 600 people—many of them children—were drowned or crushed in the stampede.
Death and Destruction
The explosions rained grenades, shells, and bullets across northern Lagos, intensifying the panic. Reports described people leaping from burning buildings, stampeding across highways, and being trampled underfoot.
By the time the fires were controlled on January 28, the devastation was immense:
Over 1,100 people killed (Red Cross estimates).
At least 5,000 injured.
More than 20,000 displaced and thousands left homeless.
Entire neighbourhoods in northern Lagos were reduced to ashes.
Government and Military Response
The Nigerian Army was blamed for negligence, as the cantonment had not been decommissioned despite earlier warnings after a smaller explosion in 2001. President Olusegun Obasanjo visited the site on January 28 and demanded answers from the military, but the tragedy left behind more questions than solutions.
Emergency services struggled to cope:
Fire crews were too few and ill-equipped.
Hospitals were overwhelmed with the injured.
Rescue efforts were slow, leaving many trapped in debris and flames.
A Forgotten Tragedy
Initially, the Lagos State Government marked January 27 as a day of remembrance, but over time, public commemoration faded into silence. For the families of victims, however, the trauma remains unforgettable—a wound in the history of Lagos.
The Ikeja Bomb Blast serves as a painful reminder of the consequences of negligence and the human cost of failing to prioritize safety.
source : Kazeem Ugbodga
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