Panic gripped Mushin, Lagos, on Monday after a suspected Improvised Explosive Device (IED) exploded beneath a vehicle parked at No. 22 Wey Street, the bustling Oke Mushin Shoe Materials Market, leaving one person injured and sending traders and residents fleeing for safety.

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Tijani, who visited the scene, confirmed that police responded swiftly after receiving distress calls and deployed Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) experts to secure the area.

According to him, preliminary investigations showed that the device had been planted beneath the passenger side of the vehicle and detonated when the engine was started.

He added that fragments of the suspected IED had been recovered for forensic analysis, while no other explosive devices were found.

The injured victim was immediately taken to the hospital and is currently in stable condition.

Mushines News gathered that the victim was the driver of the vehicle, who was hit on the back of the head by debris from the exploded device.

The Baale of Oke Mushin Community, Chief Tajudeen Faronbi, stated that he received an alert about the explosion and promptly notified the security agencies.

Chief Faronbi praised the quick intervention of security operatives, saying their presence helped contain the situation and prevent further panic.

Eyewitnesses described the explosion as sudden and terrifying to Mushines News.

“We heard a loud blast and everybody started running. At first, we didn’t know what it was,” said Kunle, a trader at the market.

Also speaking, the shop owner beside where the car exploded narrated how the incident happened, saying the blast damaged his iron door and confirming that the injured victim was the driver of the vehicle.

“This is how the explosion happened. The explosive device was under the car on the ground, by the front passenger side. As the driver started the car, the device made a loud noise and shot straight at my iron door, hitting it so hard that the door was forced out,” he said.

He further explained that the device bounced back after hitting the iron door, shattered the side windscreen of the vehicle, entered the car, struck the driver at the back of the head, and scattered, denting the body of another vehicle parked nearby.

The incident has heightened security concerns in the area, as authorities continue investigations to determine those behind the attack and their motive.

It was gathered from some residents that they suspected the bolla guys around the area, saying maybe they purchased the device as a metal scrap and placed it on the ground by the car's passenger side beside the drainage and as the man started the car engine, the device detonated with a loud noise. 

They are happy that the incident occurred earlier, and that many traders are yet to resume commercial activities.