LAGOS, Nigeria — The Lagos State police command said a busy commercial area in Mushin was safe after an explosion suspected to have been caused by an improvised explosive device injured one person and briefly unsettled traders and residents.
Fatai Tijani, the Lagos State commissioner of police, gave the assurance on Monday, June 22, 2026, after visiting the Shoe Materials Market in Mushin, where police explosive-disposal operatives had searched and secured the area.
“We promptly deployed our EOD team after receiving reports of an explosion. The area was cordoned off and thoroughly searched,” Tijani told journalists at the scene.
The commissioner said preliminary findings showed that the device had been placed under a vehicle and went off when the engine was started.
“The IED was under the vehicle by the passenger side. It exploded when the vehicle was started,” he said.
Tijani said one person was injured and taken to a hospital, where the victim was receiving treatment and was in stable condition.
He said police explosive ordnance disposal experts conducted a detailed search of the area and found no other explosive devices.
Remnants of the device, he added, had been recovered and taken for forensic examination as investigations continued.
The commissioner urged residents, traders and other members of the public to remain calm and return to their normal activities.
He also cautioned against rumours suggesting broader insecurity in Lagos, describing such claims as false and misleading.
Tijani said the command remained committed to protecting lives and property across the state and warned criminal elements to stay away from Lagos.
Community Leader Recounts Early-Morning Alert
Tajudeen Faronbi, the Baale of Oke Mushin Community, told journalists that he first learnt of the incident in the early hours of the morning while he was praying.
“Early this morning, around one o’clock, while I was praying, I received a call that something unusual had been seen. When I got there, I saw a vehicle and people were afraid to go near it,” Faronbi said.
He said he immediately contacted the area commander and other security authorities because of the sensitive nature of the situation.
According to Faronbi, about 35 police operatives were deployed to secure the area, with additional backup units later drafted in to maintain order and prevent residents from approaching the scene.
He said the swift security response helped calm tensions in the community and prevented the situation from escalating into panic.
Faronbi added that police later cordoned off the area, took control of the scene and began assessing the suspicious vehicle. He said residents could not immediately identify the owner of the vehicle or explain why it had been parked there.
