Tragedy in Mushin: Military-Grade Grenade Kills One, Injures Three in Lagos Scrap Yard Explosion

 

LAGOS, NIGERIA – What began as an ordinary afternoon in the densely populated Idi-Araba area of Mushin swiftly turned into chaos and fear on Thursday, when a powerful explosion rocked a metal scrap yard, killing one scavenger and leaving three others seriously injured.

The blast, which occurred shortly after 1:30pm, was later confirmed by authorities to have been caused by a military-grade grenade that detonated while being handled by scrap collectors attempting to dismantle it.

Residents of the area recounted hearing a loud, deafening sound that sent shockwaves through the neighborhood. Many rushed to safety, unsure of the source or scale of the blast.

“I was at home when the explosion happened,” said Akin Olawale, a resident who witnessed the aftermath. “It was sudden and very loud. People ran in all directions, and nobody knew what had happened. It wasn’t until the police came that we heard it was a grenade.”

According to multiple eyewitnesses, the explosion occurred when a group of scavengers working in a scrap yard stumbled upon a grenade, believed to be part of a stockpile of discarded military materials. In a fatal attempt to pry it open, the explosive device detonated, killing one of them instantly.

Three others, gravely wounded, were rushed to a nearby hospital. One resident, who requested anonymity due to security concerns, described seeing a vehicle hurriedly transporting the victims amid traffic at a nearby petrol station.

“We saw people inside the car. Their bodies were covered in blood, and they looked badly hurt. The driver didn’t even stop for long because of the queue at the filling station. It was that serious,” he recounted.

In the aftermath of the explosion, officers from the Lagos State Police Command, including the Explosive and Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Unit, were deployed to the scene. Their immediate priority was to secure the area and prevent any further danger.

In a statement to the press, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the nature of the explosion and assured the public that the threat had been neutralized.

“The explosion was caused by a military-grade grenade. One person died and three others were hospitalised,” he said. “Our Explosive and Ordnance Department has rendered the site safe. The area has been cordoned off and there is no possibility of another explosion. Investigations are ongoing.”

Police also recovered two additional undetonated grenades from the scene, which were swiftly secured by the EOD operatives, preventing what could have been a much more catastrophic situation.

The incident has reignited concerns about the proliferation of military-grade explosives in civilian areas, particularly in Lagos, where informal recycling and metal scrap businesses frequently operate under little regulation.

For now, the community of Idi-Araba remains on edge, grappling with the trauma of the explosion and its aftermath. While the authorities have promised a thorough investigation, questions persist about how such dangerous items made their way into the hands of untrained civilians — and whether more such devices could be hidden among the city’s forgotten waste.