Army averts repeat of Ikeja Bomb explosion

The Nigerian Army Ordnance Corps said it has completely destroyed obsolete and unserviceable ammunition belonging to the Nigerian Navy, in other to avert a repeat of 2002 explosion at the Ikeja Cantonment Ammunition Transit Dump (ATD).

The ammunition includes Ottomat Missiles, Seacat Missiles, Aspide Missiles, Anti Submarine Rockets, Torpedos, 500Ib Depth Chargers, 375mm Anti Submarine Squids and other high caliber munitions.

It was gathered that the munitions were a big threat to Lagos, especially communities located around the Navy Town, as the weapons have the strength and capability to do more damage than what was witnessed  at the Ikeja Cantonment in 2002.

The Army Ordnance Corps said the destruction was carried in an exercise code-named EXERCISE  GROUND THUNDER which was aimed at reducing the risk associated with the continuous storage of obsolete and unserviceable ammunition in order to avoid the unpleasant incident of Ikeja bomb blast of 2002.

EXERCISE GROUND THUNDER which held at the Alamala area of Ogun state, it was gathered saw many officers of the Nigerian Army Ordnance Corps  and the Navy Ordnance Depot taking risk to ensure a proper demolition of the weapons.

It was gathered that many senior ammunition technical officers and ammunition technicians were assembled from both the Army and Navy for the exercise which lasted from March 3, 2016 to July 10 2016.

…Details in Daily Times newspaper