The Nigerian Army has confirmed that it will conduct the final disposal of unexploded ordinance in Owode-Ajilete, Ogun State.
Following this, it stated that there would be a movement of unexploded ordinance (UXO) from Ikeja Cantonment to NA Range in Owode Ajilete.
Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, Director of Army Public Relations, further added that large sounds would accompany the detonation exercise.
According to his statement: “The clearance of remnants of unexploded ordnance from the site of the 2002 Ikeja Cantonment bomb blast commenced on Tuesday, October 10, 2023, in an exercise codenamed “Exercise Clean Sweep”.
“The exercise has reached an advanced stage, resulting in the recovery of various calibres of unexploded ordnance, out of which 642 of them were professionally disposed of on October 27, 2023, at the NA Range in Owode Ajilete.”
It said the search and recovery phases of the exercise have been completed and have now dovetailed into the final inspection of the site, which has earnestly commenced, in line with the exercise’s plan, as highlighted during the inauguration press briefing and flag-off by the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, on October 10, 2023.
“A final unexploded ordnance disposal task will be conducted on completion of the site inspection on Saturday, November 18, 2023, at the Nigerian Army Range in Owode Ajilete, Ogun State,” the statement affirmed.
Members of the general public, especially those residents around Owode Ajilete and its environs, were advised not to panic on hearing the sound of explosions and should go about their normal businesses, as necessary safety measures have been emplaced to ensure the safety of lives and property throughout the duration of the exercise.
